END OF DAYS
by Desktop Dragon
Summary: (Originally posted in 2017) There is a balance between the supernatural world and the human world, but something has happened and the balance has shifted. What has caused it and why does it seem that only Eric has noticed the change? Has someone or something been messing with it or is it the fabled End of Days? I DO NOT OWN THE SOUTHERN VAMPIRE MYSTERIES STORIES OR ITS CHARACTERS
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHORS NOTE: Originally posted to the site in September 2017** **and completed in November 2017. **

**This story has been given a complete overhaul, hopefully all removing typo's and errors I missed the first time around, the main story remains intact and has not been altered other than edited to improve the flow and remove any plot holes, omissions and errors. **

**oooOOOooo**

**This story came to me completely out of the blue, and seemingly from nowhere. It just appeared one day, fully formed in my mind. I have no idea where it came from but I just went with it and wrote it down and it just wrote itself, so I hope you enjoy it.**

**END OF DAYS**

CHAPTER ONE

"Goodnight Sam!" I call as I leave Merlotte's for the night.

"Goodnight Cher" he replies in a kind voice.

I make my way out of the employees exit and across the dark car park towards my car. It's late and very dark but I'm not afraid as I hear movement in the bushes near my car. I pause and a tall pale figure who I haven't seen for nearly 4 weeks steps out of the shadows. A wide smile engulfs my face at the sight of the blond handsome figure in front of me.

"Hey you!" I say fondly as I fearlessly walk up to the vampire and wrap my arms around his cold body.

"Lover" he replies and a shiver goes through my body at his words, everything from my waist downwards ignites in desire at that one word. God I've missed him!

I lift up my head and offer him my mouth. He doesn't need any encouragement I am lifted off my feet and his lips come crashing down on and his tongue invades my mouth as he kisses me soundly. I moan and I feel his arousal not only in the front of his pants but also in his mouth as his fangs start to descend.

I have long since learnt that to bring this proud vampire to his knees I only need to do two things and I shamelessly do both now. As he effortlessly grips me to his body and I am suspended a couple of feet off the ground I loosen my grip on him and remove one of my hands from its position, confident in the knowledge he won't let me fall to the ground. My hand reaches between us and I stroke the long hard length which has appeared and is straining in his pants and my tongue wraps around his fangs and I suck them.

This produces a growl, and I proceed by purposely allowing them to pierce my tongue, the taste of my blood fills my mouth and the reaction is immediate. At a speed which is dizzying I am in the air and the next thing I realise I am being set down in my backyard and urged towards my backdoor, and before I can blink I am on my back on my bed naked with an equally naked very aroused vampire looming over me.

As I eventually come back to my senses I giggle, and turn towards the now sated vampire who is now lying on his side beside me trailing his long cold fingers across my bare stomach, he has his head resting on his arm and he is staring down at me, his fangs are still visible and I know it won't take much to get him going again.

"What is so funny?" he asks, staring at me.

I shake my head, "Exactly half an hour ago I was still at Merlotte's and under normal circumstances it takes me half an hour to get home and yet..." I trail off at the smug expression on Eric's face, but it quickly fades and he wraps his arm around me.

"Have I not satisfied you lover?" he asks warily.

I shake my head, "Eric you always satisfy me, more than satisfy me, I'm just saying how quickly I got here, your performance was epic as usual!" I say.

The smug expression returns.

"What did you want, apart from...?" I ask gesturing between us.

Eric sighs, something is wrong he doesn't need to sigh but it is something he does when he is troubled, and it immediately puts me on alert. "Something is wrong" he says confirming my suspicions.

He has my complete attention now and I look at him waiting for him to say more.

"What?" I ask eventually, when he doesn't speak.

He shakes his head, "I don't know, something feels ...wrong, the balance between the supernatural world and human world has shifted and although it has shifted minutely and the majority of the beings on the planet haven't even noticed the changes yet, I have been around for so long I noticed immediately and now I have proof of it, I came to warn you, that is also the reason why I've not been around for so long" he says.

I look at him with a confused look on my face, "what do you mean, I don't understand?" I say, willing him to elaborate.

"There has always been balance, a status quo between the supernatural world and human world, it is the way things have always been, especially since vampires and the two natured became public and the humans became aware of our existence. There has always been a careful restriction on the population of both humans and supernaturals, keeping an equal balance between the different species, for example when humans were unaware of vampires and Weres more humans were created to maintain an equality of numbers, when we went public and there was a spate of vampire killings in some countries, as a result our population increased, with more vampires being sired, the same with the Weres when the two natured went public there was more of a backlash and more Weres were slaughtered and as a result the birth rate of the two natured increased. But recently there has been a significant increase in the numbers of all supernatural's and there isn't a reason for it, which leads me to believe something is amiss" he says.

"Could it just be an anomaly? In few months humanity could catch up" I say.

Eric shakes his head grimly, "that's the thing, the human population appears to be waning there has been a marked decrease in the birth rate of humans in recent months, a very significant decrease, and miscarriages and stillbirths have increased dramatically" he says.

"How do you know all this?" I ask.

"It's hard to explain, but I sensed the changes, and I investigated further and the numbers appear to corroborate what I was sensing" he says.

"So you are warning me" I say.

He nods at me. "I am, because you are my wife, I know you refuse to acknowledge that fact but it would be remiss of me to not inform you of this, especially as you are linked to both the supernatural and human world" he says I detect the hint of bitterness in his tone as he says this.

"Eric, please, you need to let that go, I do acknowledge you as my husband!" I pause and reach for him, "I love you Eric, you should know that by now" I say.

"But you won't live with me and you won't let me protect you as is my duty and right, you make me appear weak" he says almost sulkily.

I stare at him, we have been through this so many times, anger rises inside me "Just as you won't agree to a human wedding ceremony" I fire back at him. He has always refused to marry me in line with human tradition and if I am honest, that would go a long way to making me feel 'more married' and he knows this.

Eric stares at me and the silence is uncomfortable. "Anyway we are getting off topic, what does this mean?" I say eventually to break the uncomfortable pause.

Eric shakes his head, "I don't know but it can't be anything good" he says.

I nod thoughtfully, "Perhaps Niall knows something. I could ask him if he has heard anything?" I offer. I'm not going to linger on rehashing all our old arguments when this is clearly something we should be concerned about.

Eric thinks about that, "that could be helpful, we have long since known the numbers of the Faery have decreased alarmingly in recent times, if there has been a slowing of that trend or even a reversal and an increase in numbers it would be worth knowing that it isn't just the public supernatural's who have increased their population" he says.

"Plus if it involves a wider circle of Supes it could, in the long run help to narrow down whom or what is causing it" I say.

Eric nods thoughtfully "True" he says after a moment.

I am unable to come up with anything else so I remain silent and after a moment Eric pulls me into his arms.

"So if I were to ask you to marry me in line with your human tradition and go through a human ceremony you would consider living with me as my wife?" he asks.

I look up at him, "Yes I would, you know I would - I've told you this before, after I got over the deceit of what you did, and I realised that you were just trying to protect me, I asked you, no begged you to marry me in line with human tradition as well, but you refused as you thought it would make you look weak". I pause and sigh deeply.

"You know that the fact you never told me what giving you what that knife symbolised hurt me, I felt tricked and manipulated – that and the fact you sent Bobby Burnam of all people to deliver it to me rather than talking things through with me yourself" I pause and hold up my hand as Eric goes to interrupt me, "I know there was no time for you to do that but I could have been given a heads up when I arrived that night, had you done that I probably would have gotten over it quicker than I actually did" I say.

"No you wouldn't and you know it and not only that, you probably would have refused to cooperate, you forget I know you too well Sookie" Eric says coldly I can't answer that as he is right no matter how much I try to deny the fact.

"But I did get over it and accepted that it was to protect me because you love me, after you explained everything to me and explained your reasons why you did it and I...I love you for that I really do, but despite that, and I'm sorry if this offends you and your vampire traditions, but even though you considered us married, just handing you a damn knife is not a wedding ceremony as far as I am concerned...I just...don't ...I just don't _feel _married, and you know this, because I have told you this before" I say neatly sidestepping his last comment.

Before I can close this down and return to the real subject in hand Eric suddenly pulls away from me and stands, he is completely silent and still I wonder what he is thinking then to my great surprise without another word, leaves by jumping from my bedroom window.

Well ok then, I know I have probably offended him but right at this moment I am too pissed with his actions that I just don't care. I curse him loudly before settling down in bed and closing my eyes.

**oooOOOooo**

The next morning I look out of my window to see my car parked in its spot and my heart lurches, despite the fact Eric was obviously angry with what I had told him last night, he had still arranged for my car, which had been left at Merlotte's to be brought to me.

I shake my head, I love Eric there is no doubt in my mind about that fact. but he can be so high handed and infuriating at times. I sit down and drink my coffee and go through everything he told me last night, at first I don't see the problem, so what if there is a few more Supes in the world? Then I pause and think about that, there has always been a balance to give all beings a fair chance at survival but now if the balance is being tipped in the favour of Supes – some of whom would not think twice about killing humans, that is a problem.

The more I think about it the more I can see why Eric is concerned. I finish my coffee and rummage for my phone. I pause before dialling the number I have stored in it to reach my great grandfather.

I place the call, not sure of what I am expecting to happen, but it's not the clipped voice of a female who picks up.

"Can I help you?" she says by way of greeting.

"Erm...yeah hi, my name Sookie, and I was given this number to get in contact with Niall Brigant" I pause and wait for a response.

"What is the nature of your business?" the woman briskly asks.

"He...He is my...erm...he is my great grandfather, and he gave me this number to be able to contact him if I needed him and I kind of need him...I need to ask him something," I say.

"Your request has been noted" the woman says and then there is silence, she hung up on me, I stare at the phone in shock and as my anger rises, I fling it across the room.

"Temper, temper!" is the amused remark. I spin on the spot and come face to face with Niall who is standing in the doorway. I didn't hear him arrive.

"But...how?" I stammer.

Niall walks towards me and offers me my phone which he somehow, now has in his hand, I take it from him.

"Thank you" I say quietly.

"Now child what is troubling you?" Niall asks looking closely at me.

I sigh, "This is going to sound a weird question but, is the population of the Fae increasing again?" I ask.

Niall stares at me for a moment and I know that the answer is yes by the look on his face, but I also know he isn't going to tell me that, which immediately sets me on edge and makes me wonder if he has anything to do with the Supe imbalance in the world.

"Why do you ask such a thing?" he asks mildly.

Thinking quickly, I give a response which hopefully sounds reasonable and believable.

"I heard a rumour that the Fae were breeding successfully again and I just wondered if it were true after what you told me about fairies having difficulty procreating" I say.

"Who told you this?" Niall asks sharply.

I shake my head, "I don't know, I heard it you know...in someone's head" I lie, making it up as I go along and hoping it sounds ok.

Niall narrows his eyes and stares at me a moment I pray that he doesn't see anything on my face which gives away my deceit, eventually he smiles.

"We have been fortunate to have a number of full blood fairy births recently but nothing remarkable" he says.

I nod, "Ok, I...I just wondered that's all" I say with a shrug.

"This was important to you...why?" Niall asks.

"No, it's fine I was just curious" I say as I desperately try and come up with a valid reason as to why it was so important, without letting on the truth.

"Sookie" he says, saying my name, in the tone of voice a disapproving parent uses when they have discovered their child doing something naughty.

I think quickly and then inspiration hits me, "It's just… it's because...well if things are going well for the Fae and they are able to procreate again and y'all get stronger and in greater numbers, well...for starters you aren't going to be interested in me with my tiny dash of Fae blood anymore and also, more Fae means there is the chance of more of the Water Fae who really don't like me to be around at all to try and kill me...if there are more of them" I say, I am pleased with my plausible explanation and wait for Niall's response.

Niall relaxes and smiles kindly at me, "Sookie, do not be afraid, you are my kin and I will always be interested in you and your wellbeing, as for your concerns they are unfounded, with regard to me, and if the Fae increase in numbers, you will become irrelevant to my enemies for the very reason you believe that you will become irrelevant to me" he says.

"Oh...ok" I say lamely and smile. I hope I am convincing as I don't believe a damn word he has just said and at this moment Niall is number one on my list of who is causing the imbalance.

"Is that all child?" Niall asks, I nod at him and smile apologetically.

"I'm sorry I bothered you" I say.

Niall walks closer to me, "You have nothing to apologise for child, you were worried and as your kin it was my duty to reassure you" he says.

Before I can say anything else, there is a loud pop and Niall has gone.

"Well ok then… bye Niall" I say sarcastically, out loud. I immediately pick up my phone and dial Eric's number I know he won't answer, but if I leave a message for him to call me hopefully when he rises he will do. As his voicemail kicks in I leave my message, "Eric when you rise can you call me, about that thing we talked about last night, it's important" I hang up and return to my chores and normality.

As the sun sets I feel Eric rising through the bond, I send him my love and emotions which hopefully he will interpret as me willing him to call me but he doesn't, after about an hour I call him and get his voicemail again, I hang up without leaving a message and get ready to go to work.

I get through my shift going through the motions, every time the door opens I look up hoping to see Eric there but each time I am disappointed. The closest I get is when about half way through my shift, Bill glides in. That's all I need, he takes a seat in my section and I walk over with my crazy Sookie smile firmly in place.

"Hi Bill, your usual?" I ask brightly.

"Sookie, how are you sweetheart?" he replies in that oily voice which I can't believe I once thought was sexy.

"Please don't call me sweetheart, but I'm fine Bill thank you, now do you want your usual?" I ask.

Bill nods and I walk away quickly to fulfil his order of a bottle of Trueblood.

Bill watches me closely as he sits nursing the blood for most of the night and I wonder what he is playing at, I do my best to ignore him as I tend to my other customers.

"What is he doing?" Sam asks me at one point nodding towards Bill.

I shrug, "I have no idea, he doesn't normally stay this long, there has to some reason but I have no idea what it is" I say.

When I get my break I try and call Eric again but once again all I get is his voicemail, I try Fangtasia but the waitress who answers, informs me that Eric hasn't been there all evening. That makes me start to worry and I head back out intent on asking Bill if he has seen or spoken to Eric only to find his table empty with his money left for his drink. I gather it up and laugh at the miserly tip he left me.

At the end of my shift I make my way out to find Pam waiting next to my car, relief courses through me at the sight of her, and run towards her.

"Pam, where is Eric, I really need to speak to him, I have left him many messages and he hasn't returned any of them, I called Fangtasia and they said he hadn't been there all night, is he ok?" it all comes out in a jumble and Pam stares at me.

"I am to take you to him" she replies and points to my car, I nod and climb in Pam waits and looks at me pointedly.

"Oh you want to drive?" I ask.

Pam nods, "I know where we are going so I should drive don't you think" she says, the sarcasm dripping from her words.

I shuffle over and she slides into the car, I hand her my keys and a moment later Pam is roaring out of the car park. My poor car has never been so mistreated in its life, the engine is protesting loudly at the speed we are travelling at, I never even realised it was capable of going as fast as we travelling.

Eventually we arrive at Mimosa Lake, I recognise it and memories of Eric and I being here years ago leap into my mind, Eric had accompanied me after I had asked him to help me when I was looking for evidence of what was happening in the town at that time, and in my naivety I believed attending an orgy and reading the minds of the people there was the way to go. He had willingly agreed to accompany and protect me and the memories of those lycra leggings he wore that night remain burned into my memory for ever. An unconscious smile crosses my lips as that visual of Eric invades my mind.

"What are we doing here?" I ask turning to Pam.

She nods towards the trees, I look and then I see him, in a second I am out the car and running towards Eric.

"Why didn't you answer my calls? Why didn't you call me? I've been so worried, where have you been?" I say. I stop short and look at Eric, he hasn't said a word. "Eric?" I say.

A moment later, his cold pale hand shoots out and he grabs me and pulls me towards him. The next thing I realise he is down on one knee in front of me.

"Eric what are you doing?" I ask.

"Sookie, my lover, my bonded, my wife, I consider you my wife and have done, since the moment you gave me the ceremonial knife, however you do not feel the same way and I have been neglectful of your emotions as your husband, please forgive my negligence, I ask you here tonight if you will marry me, become my wife and acknowledge me as your husband in accordance with your human traditions?" he stops and looks up at me before shooting an irritated questioning look at Pam, who has let out a discreet but insistent cough.

"The ring" she hisses at him.

"Oh yes" he mutters and delves into his pocket producing a small box which he opens with a flourish and then looks expectantly at me.

I am speechless, he is proposing marriage, a proper wedding something he has always refused to do, I am delighted and tears start to stream down my cheeks, concern clouds Eric's eyes and he glances once more at Pam.

"Happy tears" I say quickly, before grabbing his hand, "Yes Eric I will marry you" I say. I watch as relief settles over him and he pulls the ring out of the box and pushes it on my finger before gracefully standing and pulling me into his arms.

"What made you change your mind?" I ask after a moment.

"What you said last night, it made me think" he says evasively I realise that is all I am going to get out of him, but for now that is enough, I squeeze him tightly.

"Why have you been so anxious to contact me?" he asks eventually, "I felt your worry through the bond and I even instructed Compton to seek you out and watch over you".

Oh, so that explains Bill's prolonged presence at Merlotte's tonight!

"Did you listen to the messages I left?" I ask and Eric nods, "I talked to Niall" I say.

I feel Eric tense at my words but I ignore it and continue leaning closer to his ear, "The Fae population is also increasing" I murmur. Eric pulls me to look at me closely.

"Really?" he says and I nod.

"Niall didn't want to tell me that, and I had to do some fast thinking to get it out of him, but he confirmed that there had been a number of fairy births but he tried to make it sound like no big deal" I say.

Eric nods, "You will tell me everything later, but first we need to celebrate our..." he looks at Pam once more.

"Engagement" she provides with a roll of her eyes.

"Our engagement" he says with a smile. With that he grips me tightly and leaps into the air and I squeal as I hold on to him.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

I am at work again almost 24 hours since Eric proposed and I keep going over it and the conversation we had afterwards about the reversal of the fertility problems the Fae were having, I know Niall was telling the truth as fairies can't lie, they can however, be very economic with the truth they tell and from what information I gleaned I believe the fairy population is faring much better than Niall was letting on.

It's been a quiet evening. There has been a steady flow of regular customers through the evening but nothing unmanageable. I take the opportunity in a quiet moment to send Eric some love and affection through our bond. I smile as he returns it with such force I gasp. I am in a world of my own as I clear a table and wipe it clean, until a familiar voice reaches me, I look up and see Bill staring and the look he is giving me is distinctly hostile.

"What is that?" he hisses and points, my gaze follows the white hand to what it is pointing at. My eyes settle on the ring Eric gave me last night and I instinctively lift my hand and cover it protectively with my other one.

"None of your damn business, Bill Compton, that is what that is!" I snap as I grab my tray and try and walk away, immediately his cold hand reaches out and grabs my wrist.

"Sookie, sweetheart" he whines his voice softening considerably.

"Let me go Bill" I snap as try and pull away from him without causing a scene. Thankfully Sam has witnessed what is happening and purposefully moves towards us.

"Hey Bill stop that now" he says calmly and he stares at Bill, thankfully it seems Bill takes the hint and doesn't want anyone else to see this altercation and he lets me go as if I have burnt him. Sam nods and walks away.

"Where did you get that ring?" Bill asks me again as I go to move away from him.

I turn and smile sweetly at him, "From my fiancé when he asked me to marry him last night" I say and I take a perverse pleasure in hearing Bill gasp and then moan as if in pain. I also find amusement in the term fiancé, as technically speaking in the eyes of vampires I am already married to him.

I say no more but turn on my heel and walk away. As I pass Sam he reaches for me, stopping me in my tracks, concern on his face.

"Are you ok?" he asks.

I smile and nod, "I am, thanks Sam" I say.

Sam nods and then his gaze lowers to my hand, and he notices my ring for the first time, "I take it that was a gift from Northman, and Bill wasn't happy about it?" he says.

I nod, "Eric has asked me to marry him in line with human tradition and I said yes" I whisper. I see a look of shock on Sam's face which he quickly hides and bless his heart he tries to look happy for me.

"Congratulations Cher" he says tightly. I wrap my arm around him and hug him.

"Thanks Sam that means a lot" I say.

Bill sits silently for the rest of the evening just glowering at me, it is getting quite uncomfortable having his eyes on me all the while, and I think my feelings on the matter are being projected to Eric as I keep getting feelings of concern and question from him, I don't want him coming and causing a disturbance with Bill so I respond by sending him bursts of love and positivity which when he receives he sends back to me along with distinct feelings of relief.

But shortly before my shift ends the door opens and Eric steps inside, our eyes meet and I can't help the huge genuine smile that fills my face. I send a burst of love so strong, I see Eric shiver and take a step back, but he quickly recovers and returns it so forcefully that I actually stumble and I nearly drop the tray I am carrying. I quickly try to compose myself. Bill sees my reaction and turns to see who I am smiling at, and his sour expression tells me all I need to know, he isn't happy. Eric ignores Bill totally and walks towards me, he takes the tray from my hands and sets it down then he pulls me close, the way he disregards everything and everyone when his attention is focussed on me makes me feel cherished.

"Lover, I have been getting some odd emotions from you through our bond this evening what is troubling you?" he asks me.

I immediately look at Bill and Eric follows my line of sight and his face hardens, "I see, has Compton been annoying you?" he asks mildly.

I quickly tell Eric what happened when Bill arrived, what he said and did and how he has sat glaring at me all night and I explain that having his eyes constantly on me has been making me feel uncomfortable.

Eric nods and his gaze has turned glacial, after giving me a swift kiss he squeezes me affectionately before walking over to Bill and after placing a hand on his shoulder and gripping so hard that Bill actually winces, he leans down and whispers something in his ear, then he simply leaves the bar and a moment later Bill gets up and follows him his head down and he looks afraid.

I sigh with relief at Bill's departure and finish up my shift in peace. I feel no guilt for tattling on Bill he made me feel uncomfortable all night so whatever punishment Eric gives him he deserves. I glance at Sam who has watched the interaction between the two vampires and he raises his eyebrows at me knowingly and I know that Bill is in trouble.

When I have finished I leave and look around the car park, there is no sign of Bill or Eric and I move towards my car. Out the corner of my eye I see a shadow, I dismiss it first, but as I look closer I can see it is definitely some kind of a shadow, moving as though it is caught up in the wind, then I realise it probably is just the wind, and the light is playing tricks on me, but I can't tear my eyes away from it, I stare transfixed on it for a moment until it fades and vanishes. I shake my head confused as to what I have seen and climb into my car and head home and I make a mental note to ask Eric about it.

When I get there, Eric is sitting waiting for me on my back steps with Bill at his side, Bill looks nervous and as I look closer I see Eric has his massive hand wrapped around Bills neck. As I walk towards them Eric stands dragging Bill up with him and he pushes him toward me.

"Sookie I apologise for my behaviour this evening" Bill says nervously.

I nod and glance at Eric who is glaring at Bill.

"I should never have tried to restrain you and I won't do anything like that ever again" he says.

I nod again "Make sure you don't" I say sharply.

"Do you accept my apology?" he asks looking at me with what I assume he believes is regret.

I shrug, "If you mean it Bill, but sadly I don't believe you do" I say and I turn my attention towards Eric, "shall we go inside lover?" I say to him using his pet name for me back at him.

His eyebrows shoot up at my words and then a leering grin fills his face and his fangs descend and he roughly shoves Bill away before pulling me towards him. I hear an irritated growl and turn towards Bill who is watching us.

"Are you still here?" I say coldly and with that Bill turns and sadly disappears into the trees.

When we get inside I turn towards Eric and wrap my arms around him, "I love you" I whisper and I feel him shiver in my arms at my words. The next thing I realise we are on the bed and we are both naked and I giggle.

Eric pauses and stares at me "You find something funny lover?" he asks.

I shake my head, "No its just you, you don't do anything slowly do you?" I say.

Eric grins at me, "Oh I intend to take my time with you now I have you here and underneath me but I admit and won't apologise for the fact I was impatient to get you here" he says with more than a hint of promise in his voice, his blue eyes glint with that same promise of the things to come.

My eyes rake over his naked body and I drink him in, he truly is magnificent, and he is all mine. I reach out and run my hands over his chest and stomach and he closes his eyes and savours my touch.

He reciprocates and I grasp his huge penis and run my hand up and down the shaft before taking him in my mouth, this sends Eric into a complete frenzy and it isn't long before I am a sweaty panting mess and screaming out his name. After three more orgasms I am lying totally spent as Eric murmurs words to me while covering my body with tiny sweet kisses, I hear the wind blowing outside and it reminds me of the thing I saw in the car park outside Merlotte's.

"I saw something weird tonight" I say.

Eric pauses "Oh?" he asks waiting for me to continue.

"Hmm" I respond and run my fingers absently through his hair.

"What did you see lover?" he asks me.

"I don't know what it was, it was like it was the wind but it was visible like a shadow, I thought it was just the light playing tricks with my eyes" I say.

Eric looks at me carefully, "Where did you see this?" he asks.

"It was in the car park at the Merlotte's tonight, I saw it as I was leaving" I say "Why, do you know what it was?" I ask.

Eric shrugs, "it sounds like you got a glimpse of an elemental of some description" he says.

"A... what?" I ask.

"An elemental - a basic primal spirit or force that is said to appear in physical form and is governed by powerful natural forces – the elements" he says as if he is quoting the definition from an encyclopaedia.

"Oh" I say, not really any the wiser for the explanation.

"They are very rare and difficult to see, not many people have ever seen one, full humans never see them or know of their existence so you should consider yourself honoured my love" Eric says.

"Unless they are not as rare as they used to be" I say quietly.

Eric freezes realising what I am saying and he looks at me, "Interesting thought" he says.

"Are they dangerous?" I ask, thinking the thing I saw looked pretty harmless, but I have long since known that looks can be deceiving.

Eric shrugs, "It depends, those governed by earth, water and air elements tend to be generally peace loving and harmless, only resorting to attacking if provoked, however, those governed by fire can be vicious and they have been known to cause trouble from time to time, but from what you described that was a Shreef – an elemental governed by the air, and totally harmless, unless severely provoked" Eric says.

I nod, "are we talking the realms of ghosts and spirits here?" I ask.

Eric laughs, "Yes we are, there are many, many layers to the supernatural world, and just because you don't see them doesn't mean they don't exist" he says.

I nod once more, "so what other beings are there?" I ask, "I ask because if they are all getting some kind of population explosion I'd like to know what I am dealing with if I see them and I need to know if I need to be on my guard" I say.

Eric nods and sits up straight, and then he begins to speak. "Elementals are part of the Ghoul family of supernaturals, there are numerous beings within this group ranging from the totally harmless to the incredibly dangerous, and generally speaking most of them originate from humans. The exception are the elementals – who I have just told you about who are basic spirits governed by the elements of the planet and are the purest of all supernatural beings. Then you have your ghosts who are the restless souls of humans who have died and not totally been laid to rest, whether or not they are dangerous depends on the human they were when they were alive, and some ghosts are more powerful than others, some are unable to manifest into something visible others are strong enough to move objects".

"Poltergeists" I say and Eric nods before he continues.

"Then you have the ghouls, who are stereotypically perceived as monsters and evil that frequent graveyards and consume human flesh, and are often mistaken for Zombies, but in reality Ghouls are incredibly shy and hate confrontation, they are peace loving creatures and as such they hide from contact with humans or other Supes. They do feed on human flesh hence the reason why they tend to live in graveyards, as generally speaking they are places which quantities of human flesh can be found before they obviously decompose completely, and cemeteries generally speaking are not frequented by many live humans the majority of the time, so there isn't a large risk of exposure or confrontation. Then the final members of the Ghoul family are Zombies, they are inherently evil and nothing like the mindless lumbering flesh eating creatures portrayed in the movies and television programmes. They are very smart, calculating and manipulative and incredibly dangerous" Eric stops speaking and I take in everything he has just told me.

"How do Ghouls become ghouls and zombies become zombies? Or are they a race of their own like the Fae?" I ask quietly.

Eric looks at me, "As I have already said, all the members of the Ghoul family were human once with the exception of elementals, who by right shouldn't really classified with this species of supernatural as they were never human in origin. Ghouls were originally humans as well, and legend has it that the original ghouls were made when a vampire turning went wrong after a vampire tried to turn a possessed human, but the truth is nobody really knows how they originated or mutated. Zombies well they are easy to explain" Eric pauses and lowers his voice slightly.

"The original Zombies were humans who were experimented on by a warped scientist who was deeply involved in the dark arts of black magic. Science and magic was and still is a dangerous and deadly combination, and he accidentally created zombies as a result of one of his experiments, they killed him and escaped the confines of the laboratory, many died unable to survive in the outside world but the strongest and cleverest did and thrived they reproduced by biting their victims and they survive and although there aren't many out there, they are real."

"There weren't many, but if they too are affected by this change in the balance then their numbers could be increasing as well" I say.

Eric nods thoughtfully, "yes that is a fact we need to consider" he says soberly.

I pause before asking my next question, "How...how did Vampires come into being, how did they originate?" I ask carefully.

Eric smiles at me, "There are numerous myths and legends surrounding the origins of the Vampire race, from the virus which was the explanation given to the media when we went public to a mythical goddess called Lilith who created us, but I happen to know firsthand exactly how the vampire race was born as one of the very first generation of Vampires created resides in Area 5" he pauses and I mentally go through all the vampires and I look up at him.

"Thalia" I whisper and Eric nods.

"As with most supernatural beings the first Vampire started out as a human man, his name was Ambrogio. He originally came from Italy but he liked to travel and fate took him to Delphi, in Greece. It is a long story but the jist of it is, humans don't always get on and he made enemies on his travels, one of those enemies was Apollo who, in Greek Mythology was the sun god, but in reality was merely another human with extensive supernatural gifts. Ambrogio angered him in some way and in his revenge, he cursed Ambrogio so that his skin would burn should it ever touch sunlight again. It is said Ambrogio's bad luck followed when he ended up gambling away his soul to Hades, the Greek god of the underworld, but that is just legend generated by Ambrogio himself to make the true story more interesting. The next curse he received came via Apollo's sister Artemis, who it appears he also angered. In Greek Mythology Artemis was the goddess of the moon and hunting, but in reality she was merely another highly gifted human, like her brother, and she made it so that Ambrogio's skin would burn if he touched silver, hence our intolerance to that metal. But eventually Artemis took pity on this poor cursed young man and she then blessed him, she gave him the gift of immortality, she couldn't remove the curses but he would live forever in his current form" Eric pauses again.

"Not much of a consolation" I say quietly.

Eric continues without comment, "Artemis also gave him the speed and strength to become a hunter whose skills were second only to her own. Feeding from humans, biting and blood sucking which, by the way, is called 'hematophagy' was also included in the 'blessing' she bestowed upon him. It is written that soon afterwards Ambrogio moved back to Italy where he came from, now as a full-fledged Vampire. Legend traces him to the city of Florence where he created the first Vampires. But that isn't totally accurate, as he actually created a number of vampires before that while still in Greece and they returned to Italy with him."

"And Thalia was one of those, the original ones from Greece" I say in hushed awe. Eric nods.

"The vampires who were sired in Greece were accidental at first and then forcibly turned as Ambrogio came into his vampirism and honed his skills, but after he returned to Italy it is said the first vampires he sired there were mainly willing volunteers - humans who wanted power and immortality, and they were willing to trade their souls for it, hence the inherently ruthless reputation our kind has. The legend Ambrogio created with regard to his gamble with Hades read that it was believed that the curse would continue for any vampire where their souls would remain in the Underworld, where they could return to claim them at any point, but then they could never leave, the only way to retrieve their soul was to die in this realm by the sun, silver or stake".

"To finally die" I say and Eric nods again.

"The numbers of vampires Ambrogio created grew in size and strength, until infighting ended with a civil war and many vampires left to form their own clans and as a result of that vampirism spread throughout the world". Eric stops and I am aware my mouth is hanging open.

"What happened to Ambrogio and those Vampires who stayed with him?" I ask.

Eric shakes his head, "It is unclear what exactly happened to him, many vampires believe that he still walks the earth and resides somewhere in Florence, Thalia refuses to confirm or deny this belief, she would know if her sire still walks the earth, but she would never divulge that information and she refuses to divulge what exactly did become of him".

"Wow" I say unable to articulate anything more than that, what Eric has just told me has literally blown my mind. I stare at the Viking in front of me and it hits me that he too must be amongst one of the very earliest Vampires created.

"So you must be one of the first Vampires created as well?" I say before I can stop myself.

Eric shakes his head, "No, I'm third generation. Thalia was first generation to be sired by the original Vampire. My Sire, Appius Livius Ocella was second generation, he was sired by Bruti Julius Aegaeus who like Thalia was one of the first generation sired by Ambrogio himself, so that makes me third generation" he says.

My eyes widen at this information, Eric has never been this open about his vampiric ancestry before and I had no idea how close in line he was to the first original vampire made, "Wow" I say again cringing inwardly at my lame response.

"So you are directly related to the first Vampire ever" I say with more than a hint of awe in my voice.

Eric looks at me with a puzzled expression, "We are all directly descended from the first Vampire" he says.

I shake my head, "No you misunderstand me, what I mean is your grandfather... grandsire whatever you want to call him – that Bruti Julius Aegaeus guy is the progeny of the first vampire ever created, you are really high up on the Vampire family tree – that is a big deal Eric" I say.

He thinks about what I have said, "I suppose when you look at it like that, it is, I had never really considered it before, but it makes Thalia even more impressive" he says.

"Not to mention even scarier" I say.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

The next morning I am sitting sipping my coffee going through everything that was said last night. My mind is reeling from all the information Eric has poured into it. He has never been so open and forthcoming before and I realise he wants me to know these things, he wants us to be closer and he wants me to understand everything about him.

We have made so many mistakes in our relationship together along the way and lack of communication has been the main one resulting in a lack of trust, something which could result in getting either one of us or both of us killed, we need to stand to stand together and stand strong, which leads me to reconsider something, something I have been against for a long while, but bigger things are in play now, which is this new looming threat of an imbalance between the human and Supe world, which the more I think about the more I am worried about.

I go over and over everything I have learnt about the supernatural world, so now I know that the majority of Supes have their origins in the human world and that leads me to consider Weres, Eric never mentioned them and wonder if he knows how they came about, perhaps that is a conversation for another time.

I glance at my computer and something tells me look up Weres, my guess is, if I Google 'Weres' I'll get something, even if it's only old movie's and the TV land version of what Weres are and then I can approach Eric and find out if any of it is based in truth. I pause my hands ready to tap in the word Were on my keyboard and I stop and slap my hand on my forehead, what am I thinking! I have two full blooded Weres on speed dial, I am a friend of the Shreveport Werewolf pack and am friends with Calvin Norris who is also a Were Panther and my own brother's pack master.

If I were to call them, I could also find out if Weres are finding an increase in their numbers, I debate who I am going to call and I decide on Calvin, his family of Panthers have had difficulty with breeding and numbers fell so dramatically that they resulted the pack becoming severely inbred. I take a deep breath and place the call.

"Hello" the familiar voice of Calvin reaches my ears.

"Hello, Calvin its Sookie" I say slightly nervously.

"Hello Sookie what can I do for you?" he says kindly.

"Erm this may sound like an odd and very random question but do you know the origins of Weres?" I ask.

There is a long silence then he finally speaks again.

"I do, but why do you want to know that?" he asks.

I think quickly, "Well" I begin, "it occurred to me the other day, despite being involved with Supes for years, I am woefully ignorant of the Supe world, Eric is teaching me all about Vampires, but my own brother is a Were Panther, now admittedly he is a bitten Were not born, but I think it's time I learnt about the history of the race my brother now belongs to – it's only right don't you think?" I am rambling and I hope Calvin doesn't tell me to just go away.

To my relief, I hear a chuckle down the phone line, "You amaze me Sookie Stackhouse, you have been subjected to some serious prejudice with your own gifts and yet you are the most open minded and inclusive person there is, of course I will tell you everything I know" Calvin says kindly.

"Thank you" I reply.

I settle down and Calvin begins to explain, "To be fair there isn't really a lot to tell. It's quite a simple tale, all Weres are descended from the True Shape Shifters – like your friend Sam, the first recorded example of a Shape Shifter was in prehistoric times, there were and still are different indigenous tribes around the world, the Native Americans and Aborigines in Australia have the earliest recorded references of shape shifting, in tribal cave art, where members of their tribes appeared to be able to transform into different beasts, it's not known how these individuals gained these skills, whether it was magical or some kind of genetic mutation or as most of us believe a combination of both, but as the humans with these traits reproduced, the ability was passed on, and numbers grew, over time certain animals became more popular than others for shifters to transform into, stronger powerful predatory animals were obviously going to be more popular than weaker animals and so as time went on certain families chose one particular animal to transform into and as a result they lost the ability to change into another species and that is when the sub species of Weres were born. Some true Shifters remained and kept the ability to change into any animal but there are very few left in the world and there some Shape Shifters who can change into other things besides animals but they are even rarer, those born with the shifting ability transform totally into the animal of their Were group or animals in the case of shifters, and you need a full blood father and mother to be able to produce a two natured child, we all believe it is something with the DNA and genes you need some from the mom and dad to successfully pass on everything you need but any human bitten by a Were or shifter whilst in animal form is at risk of becoming like them, but not totally as the Shifter DNA can be transferred into the blood via a bite and the saliva of the Were or shifter...are you following me so far?" Calvin asks as he pauses for a moment.

"Yes, like Jason, he was a bitten Were so because he was bitten not born he didn't get the full complement of DNA required to make him a full Were he just gets enough to transform at the full moon into the man/panther hybrid" I stop speaking and wait.

"That's right, but I want to stress it is rare if someone gets bitten once they have to be very unlucky to absorb enough DNA to become one of us" Calvin says.

There is a silence and I remember how Jason was held captive and repeatedly bitten by one of the Panthers at Hotshot. I think Calvin is remembering that time as well as the silence spreads out even longer.

"It's a shame that your Panthers have trouble shifting now and there are so few of you" I say innocently, changing the subject hoping to produce some kind of response from Calvin and to try and lift the oppressiveness that has fallen between us. It appears to work as Calvin quickly replies.

"We aren't doing too badly actually, I was contacted by a pack leader of another Panther pack, I was always aware of them, they are not that far away from here actually, they are based in a town just outside Little Rock in Arkansas and just like us they were having issues with numbers and inbreeding and so we have merged our packs some of our panthers have relocated to Arkansas and a few of theirs have moved to Hotshot and the new blood has been transforming, and we have a number of pregnancies now – in fact we even have one pregnancy where the mother is expecting twins which is incredibly rare as that is the only case where you can have more than one child with the Were gene in the family, as it is always just the eldest child who is two natured, the other pack has also reported a twin pregnancy so the future for our particular packs is looking rosy". Calvin stops speaking and I force myself to sound happy for him.

"Well that's really great news Calvin and I am so happy for y'all, and thank you for all the information you have given me" I say.

"You are more than welcome Sookie" he says.

We talk a while longer and then I hang up, a moment later I am calling Alcide, now I need to know if he too is having a baby boom within the Shreveport Were Pack.

"Hello" he says as he answers.

"Hi Alcide, its Sookie" I say brightly.

"Oh hello Sookie, how are things with you?" Alcide asks amiably.

"I'm good, hey I've been doing some research into the origins of Weres and I've been talking to Calvin, as I told him I was woefully ignorant of the Were community and considering I am a friend of the Shreveport Pack and my own brother turns into a Were Panther I thought it was time I rectified that, and I thought I'd give you a call and ask you a few questions, if you don't mind?" I ask.

"Sure no problem" he says.

"Thank you Alcide, well my main question is twins, Calvin told me that twin births in Were families are very rare and I was wondering why that is and if you had any families within the Shreveport Were pack who were twins?" I ask innocently.

Alcide laughs, "Well if you had asked me that a few months ago I would have said it was incredibly rare, a once in a blue moon occurrence, and there were no recorded twin pregnancies or births in the history of the Long Tooth pack, and that is because having the babies take more from the mother carrying them, as a result of having the Were gene. The first pregnancy is never an easy one for a female Were, as I just said, it takes a lot out of her so as a result there are not many twin births. When it does happen and where there are two babies with the Were DNA you get double the physical demands on the mom, and as a result not many twin pregnancies go to term, usually one or both babies are miscarried, but very, very occasionally the mom carries both babies to term and therefore then have two, two natured babies". He stops speaking so I quickly jump in.

"You just said if I had asked you that a few months ago?" I say.

Alcide laughs again, "yes, that is how it has always been, but at the moment we have 5 pregnant female Weres and 3 of them are expecting twins and they are progressing well and are past the danger point and are all expected to carry the babies to term."

My heart sinks at this, but I force myself to sound upbeat and pleased, "Well that is really wonderful news Alcide" I say.

"It is, it will really boost our numbers in a few years time when the cubs mature, the thing is, we are not the only ones, I have no explanation for it but I've been getting word from a number of packs around the country telling me the same thing, that there has been an dramatic increase in successful twin pregnancies in the last few months" he says.

"Is it just identical twins who both carry the Were gene or does it happen with fraternal twins as well?" I ask.

"Just identical, as that was one bunch of cells which split into two, where you have fraternal twins you have two separate babies so only one of them gets the Were gene and that is the only time where a second child can be born the family Were, if the child that has taken the Were gene happens to be the one born second, but those pregnancies are also very rare as the non Were child is often miscarried" he says.

"So all the twin pregnancies your pack is experiencing are all identical twins?" I ask wanting to clarify this.

"Yes they are" Alcide says.

I make all the right sorts of noises and we chat a while longer I make up a few more questions but my mind is whirling with the information that Alcide and Calvin have given me, I go through it all and I realise it has also given me a timeline, Eric noticed the changes starting a month or so ago, and that is when the Weres started noticing an increase in successful twin pregnancies, so it all ties in, but Were cubs don't reach full maturity until they reach about 11 or 12 years old so...whatever is happening is building for something which is going to happen in about 12 years time, at least that is what I think...I could be wrong, but I need to tell Eric everything I have discovered and I can't wait for him to rise so I can tell him.

I spend the rest of the day working things out in my mind as I do my chores and then make my way to work to start my shift. As I leave my house and get into the car I see the shadow thing I saw previously, floating in the wind in my back yard and I watch it for a moment before it fades and then vanishes.

I arrive at work and as climb out of my car I glance around the car park then I open my mind, dropping my shields and listen, but there is no-one so I make my way inside, before I start I pause in the back room and pull out my phone and quickly send Eric a message that I need to see him urgently tonight, I also send a text with the same message. Satisfied I have done all I can and that he will see them when he rises, I switch my phone off and head out to start work. I have decided to have a chat with Sam as well and pick his brains a bit. I step into his office and he looks up and smiles at me.

"Hi Sookie" he says amiably.

"Hi Sam can I ask you a question...a personal question?" I ask as I push my purse in his drawer.

"Sure Sookie what's up?" he asks.

I sigh, "You know how you can turn into different animals" I begin and Sam nods waiting for me to elaborate. "Well...can you...are you able to...can you change into anything other than animals?" I ask.

Sam smiles at me, "You are asking me if I am a True Shape Shifter which can turn into anything or an annimorphus Shape Shifter – that means a shifter who only turns into other animals, birds and insects" he says and I nod.

"I am an annimorphus Shape Shifter, my father was a True shifter but he only ever chose to change into animals and my mother was an annimorphus" he says.

I nod, "thanks I was just interested" I say lamely.

Sam nods, "that's fine Sookie I don't mind you asking at all" he says.

"Thanks Sam, shifters are very rare though aren't they?" I ask.

Sam nods, "We are, there are very, very few true shifters left in the world - under 1000, there are more annimorphus shifters but again there are not that many of us – around 20,000 in the whole world" he says.

He pauses, "does this sudden interest have anything to do with the sudden increase in twin pregnancies within the Were community?" Sam asks lowering his voice.

I bite my lip and wonder if I should divulge what I know, I trust Sam so I sit down and lean towards him, "I've been doing a bit of investigating, because of something Eric told me" I say quietly.

"Oh, go on" Sam urges.

"Eric has noticed something, he says there is a growing imbalance between Supes and humans, the population of Supes is increasing and humans decreasing" I say.

Sam's eyes widen "all Supes?" he asks.

I shrug, "Niall confirmed the birth rate of the Fae has increased, when previously they were having difficulty with the fertility of the Fae, then there is the Weres - both Calvin and Alcide have pregnant Weres with twin pregnancies which are looking to be successful, and Eric said that the vampires are increasing in number as well which is worrying me more than anything because that says to me...that means... that it's not a natural fluctuation, it means something is manipulating things, I haven't shared that thought with Eric yet" I say.

Sam leans back and nods thoughtfully, and I continue and tell him about the thing I saw in the car park and that Eric thought it was a Shreef but by rights I should never have laid eyes on one of those. I don't mention I have seen it again tonight in my home back yard.

"No you shouldn't" Sam agrees, "Thank you for telling me, I'll contact Eric and speak to him about this. It's important that if something is changing all the supernatural community are aware of it and its possible ramifications" he says.

I nod and with that I leave Sam to it while I head out to work.

I've been there about half an hour when I feel Eric rising through the bond, I immediately send him a burst of love and positivity as I don't want him getting worried when he receives my messages. A short while later I get a very strong curious questioning emotion and after a moment I send him all my desire to see him along with love and a healthy dose of positivity. I know when he receives them and when he returns them back to me, I smile.

I carry on with my work but it's not long before I feel a warm calm sensation flooding me, the door opens and I look up into the face of my beautiful Viking, his blue eyes look at me questioningly and I walk over to him and embrace him warmly.

"Come and sit down I have a lot to tell you" I say.

Eric nods and sits down in my area, and I quickly fetch him a warmed Trueblood he smiles and drains the bottle in one gulp, I frown.

"Have you fed?" I ask.

"Yes I had a bottle of blood before I left, but I was anxious to see you, your messages sounded urgent" he says.

I bite my lip and then call over to Sam, "Hey Sam I'm taking my break now" I say.

Sam nods and I lead Eric out the back. As we pass him he speaks to Eric, "Can I have a word after you have spoken with Sookie?" he asks, Eric nods once but doesn't say a word.

As soon as we are alone I offer him my neck and he doesn't hesitate, I feel the desire course through him and as he presses me close to him I feel his arousal. Eventually he pulls away and heals the wounds in my neck.

"Thank you" he replies then he touches my face, "What did you need to tell me?" he asks.

I step closer and whisper in his ear, I quickly outline the calls to Calvin and Alcide and what was said, Eric looks astonished when I have finished speaking.

"This is...troubling" he says eventually.

I nod, "I know, but I think it gives us a timeline to work to, as Were cubs don't change for the first time until they reach about 12 years old so this population explosion in the Were community won't be of any use for a few years so I was thinking does that mean whatever is going to happen isn't going to happen for a few years?"

I look at Eric and he considers my theory.

"It is possible, but there could be another explanation, something more sinister like an abundance of cubs could be considered a ready food supply for certain Supes". He says grimly.

I stop and remember our talk of the previous evening, Ghouls and Zombies feed on human flesh, and I stare at Eric in shock.

"Oh I never thought of that" I say but then another thought hits me, "but Alcide told me all the twin pregnancies are identical twins" I say.

Eric stares at me, "Explain" he says.

"Well...Alcide said that the other sort, fraternal twins only one of the babies gets the Were gene so if it was a question of food, then surely it wouldn't matter whether it was identical twins or fraternal twins, but the fact it is identical twins where you get two Weres then..." I trail off and Eric nods thoughtfully again.

He looks down at me after a moment and then pulls me into his arms, "You are amazing we now know that most supernatural communities are increasing their population whilst the humans are waning there must be some sort of link somewhere but we are just not seeing it" he says.

I grip Eric's arm as I prepare to tell him my final thoughts on this, "Something else occurred to me about all this and that is Vampires aren't born they are made" I say.

Eric stares at me, "Your point?" he asks.

"Meaning, a vampire chooses to sire another, they pick their human and do their thing that is different from the Weres they have no control over births, apart from choosing if and when they do the actual mating so..." I trail off again letting Eric work it out for himself.

Eric's eyes widen, "So you are suggesting whatever is causing this is controlling us all, Vampires are being manipulated somehow into creating" he says.

I nod, "You said when you guys went public and there was a spate of killings around the world and as a result the vampire population increased why and how did that happen?" I ask.

"When a vampire loses a progeny they generally...replace them" he says looking at me warily.

"Is it like an urge or compulsion or is it done through grief at losing a progeny or is it just a practical thing of replacing something lost?" I ask.

"I have no idea, I have never lost a progeny, but I do know Ocella followed this pattern, there were two vampires before me, I was a replacement" he says with a matter of fact tone.

He says this as though it is the most normal thing in the world and I stare at him in shock.

"That sounds so wrong" I say quietly.

Eric smiles, "As you know Ocella wasn't ...the best maker, his teaching methods left a lot to be desired and the two vampires he sired before me didn't survive his teaching methods" he says dryly, "but I survived" he adds.

"But he also sired Alexei" I say.

Eric snorts "and look how well that turned out, vampires can sire more than one progeny some sire hundreds, others just one is enough, some never sire another of our kind."

"Do you have any other progeny apart from Pam?" I ask.

Eric nods, "Karin was my first progeny" he says.

"Is she...?" I ask.

He nods, "She lives, but I rarely see her, the last time I saw her was when I sired Pam" he says shortly and I wonder if there is a story there.

"But if something happened to her or Pam would you replace them?" I ask.

Eric shakes his head, "I cannot answer that" he says sharply and I know immediately that the thought of losing either of them is painful one for him.

"Ok" I say soothingly, and I run my hand down his arm.

"Is Ocella still alive, after that night when you and Pam slaughtered Alexei when he went nuts and killed Bobby and attacked you and then turned on Ocella?" I ask.

The night in question is one I will never forget, it had been one of the few times I had seen Eric look defeated and beaten down, Ocella had shown up with Alexei in tow unable to control the vampire and yet he refused to put him down, which is what any maker worth their salt did for a progeny who didn't take to the life and it was clear that Alexei didn't take to the life, he was totally insane and the way Ocella was with him just made Alexei worse, everyone but Ocella could see that.

He had leached off Eric for nearly a week like a parasite. In that short time I had gotten a glimpse of just how sadistic and awful Ocella really was, but I saw something else as well, he was weak small man – Eric was a good man, a man full of honour and strength but Ocella, well he reminded me of a weasel, he did not inspire any respect.

I had received so many bad things through the bond that awful night and so I had persuaded Jason to take me to Eric's house, the scene I had been confronted with will live with me forever. The bloody remains of Bobby Burnam were strewn all over Eric's house, Eric and Pam were covered in blood and they were both injured but not badly. Eric had told me that he and Pam had killed Alexei after he had turned on Eric, he had already savagely tore at his maker and severely injured him, after Ocella had tried to gain control over him when he attacked Eric.

I saw Ocella in the corner he looked in a bad way, hatred and anger had surged through me I had grabbed a stake and gone over to end him, but Eric had stopped me asking me not to do it. I had left to get some cleaning supplies and by the time I had arrived back, Ocella had vanished and I had never laid eyes on him since, and many times I wondered what had happened to him.

Eric looks closely at me, "He lives" he says shortly.

"Where did he go that night?" I ask.

"After you left he took some blood and he left, he had been injured quite severely by Alexei and he went into hiding to fully recover, but the injuries were such he would recover but it would take time" he says.

"How could a vampire so young inflict such damage on one so old and strong?" I ask.

"Alexei was totally insane, insanity and vampire strength is not a good combination and unleashed is almost impossible to control and subdue" Eric says.

"But you managed to" I say proudly.

Eric nods, "I had Pam's help, but we did what Ocella should have done the moment he realised Alexei was uncontrollable, he did the boy no favours by keeping him alive" he says.

I have heard enough and I stroke Eric's arm once again, he looks down at me and smiles and I smile back, "Listen I need to go back inside but I wanted to tell you what I'd learnt, also I talked to Sam about it and that's what he wants to talk to you about but thank you for coming" I say.

Eric smiles at me, "I'll go and see him now, I will see you when you finish working, we have other things to discuss tonight" he says.

"Oh?" I ask.

He leans down and kisses me "Our wedding" he replies.

Before I get chance to reply has gone at vampire speed back into the bar.

I finish my break and head inside, Sam's office is shut and I can hear voices and I know he is talking to Eric. I quickly head back out to work.

A short while later Eric emerges with Sam at his side and they nod at each other, Eric approaches me and simply kisses my cheek.

"I'll see you later" he growls and then he is gone.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

I pull into my yard and my headlights pick out the familiar solitary figure lounging on my steps and I smile as I climb out of the car. He gracefully rises and walks towards me, I am not going to ask him what was said when he talked to Sam, as it's really none of my business and to be honest I want to be selfish and talk about us tonight.

"Sookie" he says, and the effect is immediate I want him...badly.

"So...you want to talk about our wedding," I say trying to bring my rampant lust under control.

Eric nods, "You will have to instruct me on what is required, as I am sure wedding ceremonies have changed somewhat since I was human."

I giggle "I'm sure they have, but I hope we can come up with something we are both comfortable with".

We head inside and I go straight to the fridge and pull out a bottle of blood and hold it up questioningly. Eric shakes his head.

"No thank you my love I have fed sufficiently tonight," he says with a smile and my mind instantly returns to when I offered him my neck earlier and once again all my horn dog tendencies almost overwhelm me. Eric looks closely at me and a knowing grin fills his face as he can clearly feel what I am feeling.

"Are you quite alright lover?" he asks innocently.

I nod briskly and try and bring things back to the reason he is here.

"Well how about we sit down and you tell me what wedding ceremonies were like when you were human?"

I watch as he raises his eyebrows in surprise, "Very well if that is the way you want to do this" he says mildly.

"It is" I say nodding firmly and actually it is, I am interested to know and see if I can incorporate something from Viking times, so Eric doesn't feel totally left out of the proceedings.

Eric raises his eyebrows in surprise, "You really want to know?"

I nod, "I want to know all about you and your human time is part of who you are even though it was thousands of years ago".

Eric sits down and holds open his arms to me and I don't hesitate I walk towards him and settle in his lap, he wraps his arms around me and kisses my head, and then he begins to talk.

"Viking wedding traditions were very complex, you have to realise that marriage was the heart of family structure in Viking culture, so the wedding rituals were very intricate. Most of the rituals would not apply now in our case but I'm sure we could work some of what I remember into our wedding ceremony."

Eric sounds almost hopeful as he says this and I smile at him, but I am not going to agree to anything though until he has told me everything, he wraps his arms tighter around me pulling me closer and continues.

"Planning a wedding was time consuming as each tradition and ritual was deemed necessary to earn the blessings of the gods, marriage was considered an important step on the path to becoming a parent, and continuing the Viking bloodline" he pauses and I nod my understanding.

"But that won't apply to us" he says almost sadly. I look hard at him and it's almost as if he wants to say something else.

"What is it?" I ask him gently.

"Are you very sure you want to do this, I know that I already consider you my wife now but you said yourself you will only consider yourself married when you do it in line with your human customs, and by marrying me you are giving up your chance of motherhood, I will be your husband until you die and I cannot give you children Sookie is that something you can live with?" He stops speaking and waits for me to answer.

I smile at him and touch his face, his eyes close as he feels my fingers gently stroke his face and he shivers and pulls me closer.

"Eric, look at me" I say.

His eyes fly open and meet mine, and once more I marvel at their blueness.

"Eric, I never expected to meet someone who loved me and who I loved enough to get married let alone have children, you have more than fulfilled my wildest dreams" I press a kiss to his lips to confirm my words.

"But..." he interrupts pulling away from me and so I press my finger to his lips to stop him.

"No, I made a conscious decision many years ago not to have children...ever, I couldn't in good conscience subject another human being to the life I had to endure growing up, listening to adults thinking things which no child should ever hear, hearing all the worst aspects of humanity in your head every day and also hearing what people really think about you isn't pleasant and hearing it constantly before I was able to construct decent shields to stop it, well...I just couldn't do that to anyone no matter how great my desire for children was, I couldn't be that selfish" I say sadly and Eric stares at me, he strokes my cheek gently.

"You are an incredible person Sookie, and I swear I will spend the rest of my existence being the best husband to you, I swear I will protect you and honour you until death separates us".

He looks at me and to my great surprise he bites at his wrist and then gently take's mine in his uninjured hand.

"May I bite you?" he asks, and I nod.

He bites my wrist and puts the two bleeding limbs together, "I swear by my blood and yours that I will honour and protect you and be the best husband for the rest of my existence".

I swallow hard as a tingling sensation fills my arm. When the tingling stops I look at him questioningly, I realise that what he has just done is significant in some way.

"I just performed a blood oath, for a vampire this is significant if I fail to keep this oath you will be within your rights to kill me" he explains.

"Eric!" I squeak. I stare at him as he heals the wound he has made on my wrist.

He looks up at me, "Hush lover, now we have established that the fact I cannot give you children isn't an issue let's get back to what we were talking about...where was I? Oh yes...Marriage offered stability, serving as a way to control sexual activity and reproduction in the community. Vikings have a very bad historical reputation for its treatment of women but in truth we were more progressive than some humans nowadays and we worked quite hard to ensure relative gender equality and fair treatment of and respect for women and the female sexuality".

He pauses and I glance up at him and see he has that far away look on his face as he is remembering back through the ages. He seems to shake himself and continues to speak.

"Viking marriage wasn't just a union of two people it was a union of two families and sometimes two entire villages, as such, negotiations could take months even years to ensure all parties were happy, but that doesn't apply to us, traditionally Viking weddings were held on Friday, which in Norse religion is a scared day for Frigga, the goddess of marriage.

Weddings typically lasted a week and family and friends travelled to the site of the wedding, in the lead up to the wedding ceremony, Norse brides and grooms were separated so they could strip away their former selves before entering their new lives together. For the bride, this meant being stripped of old clothing and any symbols of her unwed status, during this time, the bride cleansed herself in a bathhouse. Hot stones were placed in the tub to produce steam, and women often switched themselves with birch twigs to induce perspiration, which symbolically washed away a bride's maiden status. Once the bath was finished, the bride plunged into cold water, to close the pores and end the cleansing process.

The groom also had to complete a number of rituals before entering his new life as a married man. His attendants would be his father, married brothers and other married male friends. In order to rid himself of bachelor status and destroy all vestiges of his unmarried self, he would participate in a symbolic sword ceremony where he had to retrieve the sword of an ancestor, In order to obtain a sword, the groom had to break into and enter the grave, and retrieve the sword which was placed there by his attendants, then he would emerge with the sword. By doing this, he symbolically entered death as a boy and emerged into a life a man, reborn, but the same and once the groom had his sword he, like his bride, went to a bath house to symbolically wash away his bachelor status and purify himself for the wedding ceremony.

Viking brides didn't wear elaborate gowns like they do nowadays but the focus was on their hair, a woman's hair was very important in my time, and indicative of her sexual allure - the longer, the better." Eric absently runs his hand through my long hair as he says this.

"Brides wore a bridal-crown, which was typically a family heirloom. These crowns were usually made of silver adorned with rock-crystals and elaborate designs such as crosses and clover leaves, and draped with red and green garland silk cords."

"What about the groom, what did he wear?" I ask I am enthralled by this information and I have already decided I am going to make myself some kind of head dress for the ceremony.

"Viking men didn't require any particular costumes or ornate garment to marry. He did, however, bear his newly-acquired sword during the ceremony, and also he may have carried a symbol of Thor, such as a hammer or an axe. Such a weapon was symbolic of his mastery in the union, and it was believed to ensure a fruitful marriage.

The ceremony itself began with the exchange of a dowry and mundr – that is the bride-price, between the families this was done in front of everyone so it could be witnessed that a bond now existed between the two families and everyone was happy about it, this was followed by the religious ceremony, which began by summoning the attention of the gods and goddesses, a process that involved a sacrifice and incantation.

Vikings used animals associated with gods of fertility. The animal's blood was collected in a bowl and placed on an altar. A bundle of fir-twigs was dipped in the blood, which was used to sprinkle the couple, conferring the blessings of the gods. In some cases, animals were dedicated as living gifts and such animals were considered sacred. Then after the sacrifice, the groom presented his ancestral sword to his bride, which she kept for any future sons they might have and the bride gifted the groom a sword of her ancestors, symbolizing a transfer of a father's protection of a bride to the husband. This gift exchange symbolized sacred union and was sanctified by mystic rites.

The bride and groom then exchanged rings to further consecrate their wedding vows; they offered the rings to one another on the hilt of their new swords. After the ceremony was the wedding feast and after that was when the marriage was consummated in front of witnesses to prove that the union was true." Eric pauses and grins at me after saying that part and a lustful glint appears in his eyes.

My eyes widen at that part and Eric laughs at my reaction, "don't worry I won't make love to you in front of anyone, in fact I think most of my human rituals do not apply to us and are also obsolete in this modern era " he sounds almost sad about that and I touch his arm gently.

"No, we can use some of this, and I want to, you say you exchanged rings, well that is still done in the human ceremony, I know you have your sword because I have seen you with it, and I have a weapon which was my fathers and I kept, it's not a sword but..." I look up at him.

"Your gun" he says smiling indulgently at me, and I nod. "Also I'm going to make myself a crown thing I liked the idea of that" then I pause, "I'm not so sure about the sacrifice bit though" I add nervously.

Before Eric can respond there is a loud pop and he reacts to it immediately, he leaps to his feet and once standing, he shoves me behind him before adopting a protective stance in front of me, his fangs are down and he is hissing loudly. However, I am not concerned as I recognised the popping noise and I place my hand on Eric's arm to calm him.

"It's ok, relax honey, that popping noise was the sound a fairy makes when they appear," I look past Eric and call out, "Is that you Niall?"

Niall appears in the doorway and smiles amiably at us, "I apologise for the intrusion great granddaughter" he glances at Eric, "You may step aside vampire I mean neither of you any harm".

I feel Eric relax slightly but he is still on full alert and he pulls me to his side and wraps his arm possessively around me, I am also getting anger from him, which I am assuming is focused on Niall for his unannounced appearance.

"Why are you here?" I ask bluntly wanting to get to the point quickly.

Niall is still smiling blandly, I can tell it is forced and I am certain Eric realises it is as well, he and settles himself on the seat opposite ours, as he does this Eric relaxes slightly and retakes his seat pulling me into his lap once more and we both wait for Niall to explain his reason for dropping in on us like this.

"You plan to marry" Niall says simply, it's not a question, he says it as a statement of fact.

I sit up a little straighter and nod, "We do, Eric has agreed to marry me in line with human tradition" I make a point of saying human so Niall is aware that this has nothing to do with him.

Niall nods, "I know you view me with suspicion Sookie, and although I consider you my kin I wouldn't dream of interfering with your plans, I have long known that the vampire loves you and he would honour you" he glances at Eric and I see Eric nod slightly in acknowledgement of what Niall has just said.

"I would just like to witness the union, if that is agreeable to you both?" he asks.

I nod silently and then Eric speaks up, "We would be honoured to have your presence".

There is a silence and Niall nods at Eric, I am getting a bit impatient here, why is he here?

"What did you want Niall?" I ask again.

Niall turns to me and smiles indulgently "I am here because, you vampire" he nods towards Eric, "have noticed certain changes, I know you have been discussing these changes with Sookie and I know that you are endeavouring to find a solution" he stops and I realise my mouth is hanging open.

"Have you been spying on me?" I spit angrily.

Niall smiles at me once more, "It would be remiss of me if I didn't keep a protective eye on my kin" he says evasively.

I can feel Eric almost vibrating with anger, and he leans forward slightly, "do these changes have anything to do with the Fae?"

Niall shakes his head, "No, we are as concerned as you are, I have even contacted Desmond to try and see if there is anything in his many books that speaks of this".

Eric nods and his anger comes down a notch, "Sookie saw an elemental the other night" and this clearly means something, as Niall is suddenly very interested. "From her description I believe she saw a harmless Shreef, but the fact is, she should never have ever laid eyes on one".

I turn to Eric remembering what I saw earlier, "I saw it again today outside in my back yard as I was leaving for work" I say.

"This was during daylight hours?" Eric says and I nod in confirmation. He looks at Niall questioningly.

"This is interesting and from your conversations with the Wolf and the Panther you believe the population of the Weres are also on the increase" Niall says. How does he know about that, I feel uncomfortable that he is able to spy on me like this.

"I'm not real comfortable with the fact you seem to be spying on me" I snap.

"I am worried, just as the vampire is, and my worry makes my concern for your safety increase" Niall says, there is a hint of anger in his voice as he says this as if he isn't happy that I'm questioning his motives.

"So what is causing this?" I ask, wishing he will get to the point.

"I think we should be asking who is doing this" Niall says.

"Who then?" I snap.

Niall ignores me and turns to Eric, "have you ever heard the phrase 'End of Days' vampire?" I turn towards Eric and see his astonished expression.

"Surely not?" he gasps.

"I fear so" Niall says sadly.

I look from Eric to Niall and back again, "What? Is someone going to tell me what's going on?"

Eric squeezes me gently and sends calming reassurance through the bond.

"You were raised with the notion of Christianity?" he says and I nod, "Revelations, the apocalypse, end of the world?" he says slowly, I realise what he is getting at and take in a sharp breath.

"No, surely...?" I stammer.

Eric shrugs and gestures towards Niall, "he believes so".

Niall looks sympathetically at me, "Sookie, there are many organised religions in the human world with their own variety of deities and teachings, but most of them have their own beliefs about the end of the world and humanity, the triumph of good over evil and Judgment Day.

In Christianity, as Eric just mentioned the Book of Revelations, the last chapter of the Bible's New Testament, mentions Armageddon, the final battle on Earth between the forces of God and Satan. In Islam, the end of the world is referred to as the Hour and involves the slaying an anti-Christ who has put the planet in peril. In Judaism, there is no term for Armageddon, but there are references in the Hebrew bible to events that could be compared with Armageddon, including the Day of the Lord and the War of Gog and Magog. In Hinduism, there is the story of the god Vishnu coming back in the last cycle of time as a figure called Kulki, who rides a white horse, carries a sword that looks like a comet and destroys the forces of evil. In some Buddhist prophecies, the equivalent of Armageddon is Shambhala, in which good triumphs over evil. However, in this case the planet is restored rather than destroyed so people can pursue enlightenment.

But in this case I believe it is something more insidious, the way I see it is whatever or whoever is behind this has a plan, the first part of the plan is eliminate humans which is why the human birth rate is waning and miscarriages and stillbirths are on the increase, but Supernaturals are a different matter so the idea appears to be, increase their number and let the strongest survive, give them a fighting chance as it were to prove themselves worthy of survival".

"So humans are expendable...Wait I'm human!" I exclaim.

Niall shakes his head, and Eric sighs, "Not totally my love" he says softly.

I snort, "I have a miniscule dash of fairy blood whoopty doo!"

"Sookie you also possess the gift of a demon, whose blood resides inside you" Niall says gently, but I can't help but notice the faint note of distain at that comment.

"Niall, why are you telling me all this?" I ask, my head feels as though it is exploding with everything he has said.

Niall is now the one who sighs, "I cannot be sure, but I believe the fact Eric alone has noticed the subtle changes also means something, then there is the fact the vampire is your mate and then the undeniable fact that you have links to practically every group of Supernaturals there is, is I believe significant, I believe you and Eric will play a role in the coming events, whatever they are".

"And what is your role fairy?" Eric snaps.

Niall glares at Eric and then looks at me sympathetically, "I wish to preserve the status quo so if I can help prevent what I believe is coming then I will".

"Is there any chance you could be wrong?" I ask hopefully.

Niall nods, "Every chance" he acknowledges, "I could be way off the mark and I truly hope that I am, it could simply be a very clever and powerful Supernatural being having some fun at the expense of everyone else, or some sort of magic that has got out of hand or something different entirely" he says.

"And if it is?" I ask.

"Then whoever it is that has been the cause needs to be eliminated" Niall says coldly.

I stare at Niall who looks quite fierce at this moment, gone is the genial grandfather and I am faced with a supernatural being who I don't doubt is as lethal as Eric and it unnerves me. I grip Eric's hand a little tighter and he immediately pulls me closer as he can probably feel my sudden fear and unease through our bond, Niall also notices my reaction and smiles and once again he is the amiable old man.

"My apologies Sookie, I didn't mean to concern you, please do not fear me" he says, he looks at Eric, "I have taken up enough of your time, I will leave you in peace, if you would inform me when the nuptials ceremony occurs so I may witness the union" and with that there is another pop and he is gone.

I turn to Eric, anger replacing my fear, "He drops in here, says the end of the world is nigh and then goes...who does that?!" I splutter.

Eric looks at me in amusement, "Hush lover, it is helpful he has done this" he strokes my back gently, "why don't we get back to what we were doing before, and you tell me about your human wedding ceremony traditions".

I sigh, I need a distraction and Eric realises this I settle back down and rest my head against his chest.

"Ok...Well you can have a religious ceremony or a civil ceremony, I guess with you being a vampire we will be having a civil ceremony".

"Why?" he asks.

"I can't really see any minister willingly inviting a bunch of vampires into his church" I say dryly and he acknowledges this with a snort of laughter.

"What do you want Sookie?" he asks after a moment.

I stare at him, "I don't mind as long as I am with you?"

Eric nods, "Alright, so what does a civil ceremony entail?"

"Well you say your vows and exchange your rings either in a hotel or another place of your choosing or you can just go to City Hall and hold it there, or you can just go to Vegas and have a Vegas wedding". I say going through the options as I know them.

Eric nods, "What would you prefer?" he asks.

I turn and gripping his hand I tell him what I have been thinking about and the decision I have come to, I look him confidently in the eye.

"I'd like a nice ceremony in a hotel just us and our closest friends and family, I'd like to write my own vows instead of having the standard generic ones, ones which totally express our love for each other, I want to give you a ring to wear which tells everyone that you are mine.

" I pause as Eric's nostrils flair at that comment, "Hey you get to say I am yours it works both ways, if I am yours then you are mine" I say sharply.

Eric smiles and shakes his head, "You misunderstand, I am overjoyed by what you just said, I am so happy that you consider me in such a way, since we met it is all I have dreamed of, that you would consider bonding yourself willingly to me that you would consider me yours as much as I consider you mine".

I take a moment and feel his joy through the bond and I blush, "I'm sorry I just thought...I opened my mouth without listening to our bond," I say helplessly.

Eric smiles and whispers in my ear, "Do not trouble yourself, now continue with your list of desires for your wedding".

"Ok" I say and I shiver at as his lips press small kisses on my ear and neck "erm...and then afterwards..." I stop, this is it, this is what I have been considering for days now and the monumental decision I have made with regard to our relationship, Eric notices my hesitation and stills giving me his full attention.

"Go on lover, what do you want to do afterwards?" he urges.

I take a deep breath, this is it here we go, "Afterwards, when I am officially your wife I want you to...to...I want you to turn me, I want to be with you for all eternity, I want...I want to become a vampire like you, because I can't marry you knowing that you are then going to watch me get old and die, I can't do that to you, you are going against everything you know to do this for me, you are risking looking weak just doing this for me, which is a really bad thing for a vampire of your position, you have given me so much and I am only just realising how much and I have treated you terribly at times so I want to give you this, I know it's what you really want and I have given it a hell of a lot thought and I want happy ever after, and to have that with you I don't just want another 50 odd years, I want eternity with you Eric I love you that much."

I stop and wait, while I have been talking Eric's grip on me has gotten tighter and tighter to the point where it is almost painful now and I move my fingers a little, muttering his name and Eric notices and immediately loosens his grip on me.

"Lover? Sweet one...you are sure about this? You truly want this?" he asks, the hope and joy in his voice is evident and if I wasn't totally convinced I am getting waves of it through our bond, but there is also something else there clouding it...suspicion, why is he questioning my decision?

I nod "I am and I do" I say.

I see Eric consider this, "I want to give you this but I am unsure whether to grant this request, nothing would give me greater pleasure and it is what I have always longed for, however..." he pauses.

"What?" I ask wondering where he is going with this.

"Sookie, are these your desires or are you being manipulated into thinking this way?" he says slowly.

I realise what he is saying and my mouth forms into an 'oh'. Then I think carefully about everything and what we know and look at him confidently, "No it is what I want, and think about this you are worried about it and you are clearly not mindlessly compelled to turn me at my first request, you are questioning my decision and reluctant to comply with my wishes in case it's not really what I want, which tells me that if we were being manipulated into this, you would agree immediately and not question my decision as you are doing" I say confidently.

Eric considers this and then nods, "I still question your decision, considering you have always been so clear that I was never to turn you, you made me promise that I would never bring you over, so I need you to be very certain about this, you cannot change your mind once it is done".

I nod firmly, "I am Eric I know I have always said no, and I made you promise but that was when I..." I pause, "that was when I didn't...trust you totally, but there has been such a shift in our relationship recently and I see things so clearly now, with much more clarity than I ever did before I realise now that you have always had my best interests at heart and you love me for who I am not what I can do for you with my..." I trail off tapping my head and tears start to form in my eyes.

Eric smiles "I do love you Sookie you are an incredible woman and whilst your gift is ...useful, I see much more than that, I am drawn to you in such a way I have never been drawn to another ever" he stops as I can't stop the tears from falling after listening to that and he looks at me with concern.

"Happy tears" I mutter through the sobs and he smiles.

"Then if you are certain, I will be honoured to be your maker" he says.

I grin through my tears and wrap my arms around him, he pulls me away from him and looks at me, "You must tell me what you want for your wedding ceremony so I can arrange the details, I will get Pam to assist me as well" he says.

My smile gets wider and I quickly outline what I'd like, and I tell him I really want to incorporate his Viking traditions of the sword and I tell him I want to get married on a Friday as that seemed real important to Vikings, when I have finished Eric smiles at me.

"Consider it all done Sookie" he says, "who would you want to witness the ceremony?" he asks.

"Jason, Sam, Pam and I suppose I'd better invite Niall" I say.

Eric raises his eyebrows, "is that all?" he asks.

I nod, "Yeah, and whoever you want to invite of course, but I would like it just to be close friends and family" and I wish Gran was here to see it I add silently.

Eric nods, "Consider it done" he pauses, "Do you wish to join us immediately after the wedding ceremony or at a later point?"

I think about that for a moment "as that would take some organisation too as I wish to make the experience as pleasurable as I can...under the circumstances" he explains.

I smile at him he is basically saying he wants me to be comfortable with him draining me and I love him for it.

"I think...yes afterwards, when we are alone after the wedding ceremony" I say quietly, Eric nods.

"What sort of burial would you like?" he asks next.

I am unsure what he means, and when I don't answer he elaborates.

"What I mean is when I have drained you and you have taken my blood, I will need to lay you to rest you see at that point the human is not yet a vampire, they are a drained human who has been filled with vampire blood, the human is normally buried with their sire to facilitate the changes required for them to rise as a newborn vampire, it is up to you how and where you wish to be buried, you could have a traditional rising where you and I would be buried in the ground under dirt or a modern rising where we would be simply locked in a coffin or even just lay in a bed until you rise, if you choose one of these modern options a tray of dirt from your ancestral home will be required to be placed under the bed or coffin" he says.

"I see, well I'd like to do it properly, be buried in the ground if that's alright, and could we be buried here in the earth outside, Niall said it was magical ground from the Fae, I'd like to give that to you" I say.

"Consider it done and finally, who would you like present to witness your rising?"

I hadn't thought about that, "Erm...", I quickly go through my friends and family and there is no one who would want to see me rise as a vampire, Jason certainly wouldn't or Sam and I wouldn't want Niall there, "Just Pam I think, she will be my sister after all" I say in the end.

Eric nods again, "I will be calling for Karin to witness our wedding, I would like her to stay for your rising, as she too will be your sister."

"Ok" I agree.

Eric glances at the window, "I need to go now if I am to prepare for our wedding and also your turning, I have limited time until dawn, do you mind me leaving you lover?" he asks looking at me almost apologetically.

I shake my head, "No that's fine, I can help though - do some of the arranging if you like?"

Eric shakes his head, "No I can be more persuasive if there are any issues or problems to overcome."

I laugh, "Ok, I'll use this opportunity to have an early night then" I say flippantly.

Eric's fangs descend, "Well it is my duty as your husband to make sure you get to bed safely and are quite comfortable and relaxed before I leave you" he says.

I laugh again "Well if you insist" I say desire rippling through me.

Before I can blink I am in Eric's arms and in my bedroom, "Oh I do insist" he replies, all thought of leaving now gone for the time being at least.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

I have an afternoon shift at Merlotte's today which I am more than thankful for, I have done a number of back to back late shifts and I am happy for the change, not only that, but it will also mean that I will be able to spend more time with Eric when he rises as I will be finished by that point and not feeling him rise as I am waiting tables. But for now, I am just starting my shift, as I pull on my apron and tie my hair up Sam sidles up beside me.

"Could I have a word Cher?" he asks gently.

I turn and smile, "Sure Sam". I follow him into his office. "What's up?" I ask as soon as we are inside.

"I had a visitor last night Sookie," Sam says as he sits down in his seat behind his desk which creaks as he leans back in it.

"Oh?" I say, I try and check his mind to see if my suspicions are correct and although the thoughts are snarly and difficult to read, I distinctly grab Eric's name amongst the jumble of thoughts. Bingo! So I wait for him to elaborate, but I have a good idea what this is going to be about.

"Yes Eric came to see me and informed me that you two were to be married soon, which I already knew after I previously saw your ring."

"That's right, Eric has taken on the organisation," I say brightly, wondering where this is going and I absently fiddle with my ring.

"He told me that you would like me to attend your wedding," Sam looks at me carefully.

I nod "I would Sam, you are my friend, so of course I would want you at my wedding" I say, wondering how Eric had asked him, or whether any threats had been involved in the conversation.

"Are you sure about this Cher?" Sam asks me nervously, I can tell he doesn't like the idea – and he will like it even less when he knows Eric is going to turn me the same night. I decide to break that news to him now.

I nod, "I am, and just so you know, I have also asked Eric to turn me afterwards" I wait for the response and it comes quickly.

"Sookie, No!" Sam exclaims, I am shocked by his vehement reaction.

I grasp his arm and speak earnestly to him hoping he will understand.

"I want to Sam, none of us know how much time we have – and that includes Eric and the other vampires, but I know I want to spend eternity with Eric and I don't want him to watch me age and die, I can't marry him and then do that to him, my lifespan is miniscule, a blink compared to the endless existence of a vampire but I love him and I know he loves me and we are doing it."

I pause and see the disbelief on Sam's face and it makes me angry, "I want you to be happy for us, you are one of my oldest friends Sam, hell you are one of the few friends I have, I'm not asking you to witness me rising as a vampire, as I know you wouldn't want to do that, but I do want you come to our wedding, but if you can't be happy for us and accept the decision I have made for the direction of my life, then I'd rather you stay away and keep your thoughts to yourself" I say defiantly.

Sam stares at me as if I have slapped him, "Sookie, I'm not saying..." he trails off and shakes his head sadly.

He is silent for a moment then he lets out a loud sigh, "Sookie, if he makes you happy and it's what you really want – to become one of them, then of course I am happy for you and I support your decision 100%...just be careful… ok?"

I nod, "thank you Sam, but I promise you I am happy and I am going into this with my eyes wide open, I know what Eric is, and I know what he is capable of, but I also know that he loves me and would do anything to keep me safe and make me happy what more could a girl ask for?!" I grin at him.

Sam nods and smiles, "Ok you've got me there," he says, "We're ok aren't we Sookie, I mean you're not mad at me are you for what I said?"

I shake my head, "No I'm not mad at you Sam, you were being a friend you were concerned for me and it shows you care, plus you had the guts to be honest and said it to my face, and aired your concerns with me, not tell me you were pleased for me, only to let me pick out your head what you really think, you will always be my friend Sam, no matter what happens in my life" I reach for him and hug him.

"Ok let's get on, I'll come to your wedding and of course I'll be happy for you," Sam says after a moment but I don't miss the hoarse tone of his voice.

I head out and check my tables, it's quiet and so I use the time to do the odd jobs which need to be done, like refilling condiments and cleaning the shelves, I am humming a little tune to myself as I work when I hear the door open I turn and see Jason, Hoyt and a few other guys from the road crew and when they sit down at a table in my section, I grab my notepad and menu's and walk over to them smiling widely.

"Hi Guys," I say as I hand them the menus and turn away giving them chance to see what they want.

I feel a hand on my arm as I move away, and a familiar voice says my name, I turn and Jason is holding my arm, he looks at me carefully.

"What's up?" I ask him.

"Can I talk to you privately please?" he asks me nervously.

I glance at Sam and then at the other guys who have abandoned their conversations and are staring at us.

"Sure, I guess Sam will let us use his office, but it will have to be quick," I say.

Jason nods and after I ask Sam if it's ok, he follows me out back.

"What's wrong?" I ask again.

"Eric came to see me last night," he says.

"I see" I fold my arms waiting for his response which I doubt will be positive.

"I just need to know, has he forced you to marry him and to...to...make you one of them?" he says looking at me closely.

I shake my head, "Nope, it was all my idea, in fact, I had to persuade Eric to go along with both my requests, so any coercion has been from my side not his."

Jason nods and looks relieved, "And this is what you want?...what you really want?"

"I wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't what I wanted" I reply firmly.

Jason nods again, "Ok, then if he is what you want and that...life, then I'm happy for you" he says awkwardly.

I realise in that moment how hard that was for him, I always make a point of staying out of Jason's head but I didn't need to read his mind to see the discomfort, and how torn he was between his dislike and prejudice of vampires, and accepting what will make me happy. I smile widely at him, it means a lot to me that he has accepted it, more than I thought it would. In a rush of gratitude I hug him and ask him to participate in the ceremony.

"Would you give me away please Jason?" I ask as I push away from him.

His face lights up and he puffs out his chest, "Yeah sure, I'd be honoured" he says, and I lean forward and wrap my arms around him once more. "Also, congrats sis, to you and the big blonde dead guy" he mutters.

I smile at that comment "Thanks Jason" I say with genuine sincerity.

We head back out and Jason rejoins the guys and I return to work.

It's a quiet afternoon and by the time Holly comes in to take over I am on top of everything, I quickly outline how things are before I head out back to grab my purse before leaving. I walk outside and glance at the setting sun and smile. I will be able to spend all evening with Eric when he rises.

I have been home about an hour when I feel Eric stirring through the bond and I automatically send him a burst of my love and he returns it with force and total sincerity. Almost immediately my phone starts to ring.

"Hello," I say as I answer it.

"Lover" is the response I hear which immediately makes me smile and sends tingles down my spine.

"Hey you, what's up?" I ask and I send him another burst of my love, which I feel him receive and quickly return to me.

"Lover I will be by your side within the hour, we have much to discuss" he purrs.

"Ok" I'm wondering what else he wants to talk about, as he wouldn't have bothered to call just to say that, then it all becomes clear when he speaks again.

"I call with a warning, Bill may visit you this evening," he says carefully.

"Alright" I'm wondering where this is going, but if Bill is involved it can't and won't be anything good. I wait for him to elaborate which he quickly does.

"I started the preparations for our wedding, and your turning and rising last night after I left you, and Bill was present and heard of your decision, he did not take the news of you joining us after our wedding at all well."

I sigh, "Oh boy," I say as all my theories are proven right and I shake my head sadly, when will Bill Compton just give it up?

"He thinks I have forced you into this decision and he believes that he can persuade you out of your decision to be turned...and maybe also your decision to marry me" Eric continues.

"But you haven't, and he won't change my mind, nothing will alter my decision, I want to be turned and I want you to be my Sire and my husband, and besides I am already your wife according to vampire law" I say quickly hoping I reassure him.

I immediately get a burst of love and something else...I try and place the emotion I am getting and realise it is relief through the bond.

"Nothing can make me change my mind about you Eric," I say firmly.

"I will be with you soon lover," Eric says and with that he hangs up.

I smile again, I really have to teach him some phone etiquette. I wonder why he felt so insecure about what he thought Bill could do, I loathe Bill, after I found out what he really was, and he really couldn't hold a candle to Eric and he should know that by now.

I am in my kitchen and I see movement in the trees out of my window, and my heart sinks I know immediately its Bill without even checking, well at least he is predictable. I quickly rescind his invitation to enter my home and a few moments later there is a knock on my door.

I take a deep breath and open the door to face Bill who has what he assumes is a concerned look on his face.

"Hi Bill what do you want?" I ask with distinct distain, I fold my arms and lean against the doorframe.

"Sookie last night I received some disturbing information" I look at him carefully, he is actually wringing his hands.

"And what news would that be Bill?" I ask in a bored tone.

There is a silence for a moment and then Bill steps closer, then he frowns when realises he can't get inside.

"That Eric has tricked you into..." he trails off clearly the thought of me becoming a vampire is too much for him to handle and he can't even say it.

I know he has always been at odds with what he is after Lorena forcibly turned him and from the things I have learnt about her she was nearly as awful a sire as Ocella was to Eric.

"You know better than to listen to gossip Bill" I snap.

He looks at me hopefully, "so what I hear is untrue?"

I shake my head, "No, as you know Eric and I are marrying and afterwards he is going to turn me but the bit about him tricking me is false, you see I know it is false as I asked Eric to turn me not the other way round, I am not being tricked, coerced or forced into doing anything" I say with a swipe of my hand to emphasise what I am saying.

Bill stares at me unable to believe what he is hearing, "He isn't right for you Sookie, he doesn't have your best interests at heart and for him to become your maker it's wrong" he whines.

"And you do!?" I scoff.

Bill nods, "You know I do, I always have. I love you Sookie" he says earnestly.

He makes me cringe the way he is looking at me but I put aside my discomfort and I laugh at him and he looks startled at my reaction.

"Seriously Bill you are more deluded than I thought if you really believe that crap that's coming out of your mouth!" I say shaking my head.

"I don't understand?" he says.

I push away from the doorframe, straighten my back and square my shoulders, "Well let me tell you so you do understand then" I say calmly.

"Once upon a time – a long time ago I met a vampire – that was you in case you are not following this, I loved you and I thought you loved me" Bill goes to speak but I hold up my hand to stop him.

"No you will shut your mouth I've not finished" I say sharply and Bill obediently closes his mouth again.

"I thought we met by chance but you manipulated that meeting and everything about our '_relationship_'" I hold up my hands and put air quotes as I say the word relationship.

"I even wonder now if you orchestrated the whole situation with the Ratrays. I mean they were humans it would be easy for you to glamour them into doing what you wanted, to manufacture a meeting with me and you came to Bon Temps with a mission. Eric said you had been watching me for a while, you would see what sort of person I was, how I would try and help you if you were in trouble."

I pause and watch his reaction carefully and for a second I see the truth on his face, its only there for a split second before he rearranges his face into a mask of impassiveness but I saw it and it confirms that my suspicions were true, and the hate that bubbles up inside for this vampire is overwhelming but I don't react to it, that small truth is giving me the strength to continue with my tirade, every last bit of compassion for this vampire has now gone.

"You were on a simple cold hearted mission to get me, and to do that you used me, and made me believe things that weren't true, you were sent to procure me for Sophie Ann, you were never interested in me as a person as I thought you were, you were doing a job and as part of that job you used me, you lied to me, tried to control me and played with my emotions, took my virginity and nearly got me killed on several occasions, do you think that was having my best interests at heart?" I ask.

Bill opens his mouth and then shuts it again but I am on a roll now and so I just keep going.

"Do you want me to go on? As I can list numerous occasions where you didn't have my best interests at heart, like that occasion when we were locked in the trunk of that car… need I go on?" I say as I suddenly see that situation for what it really was, he raped me.

"But Eric wants to use you" Bill protests, ignoring everything else I have just said.

I shake my head, and with stunning clarity I see everything that has happened since I met Bill and Eric clearly and comprehensively, I had already come to this conclusion in parts but now my whole relationship with Bill plays out in my head, with the new information I have just gleaned and I now know how Bill played me completely for his own agenda and how he never had any feelings for me, how he comprehensively used me, then I compare that with Eric who has put himself in danger to save my life so many times and made himself look weak in front of other vampires in the process.

I think how Bill tried to keep me away from Eric, as he knew that he was a vampire with honour and what have I done time and time again? I have thrown everything he has done back in his face believing that he was one who had some ulterior motive. As I see everything from the beginning to this point in time clearly for the first time I spit a tirade of venom filled words at Bill.

"You just wanted to own me, to control me in every way, you fed me lies about Eric to try and turn me against him and keep him from me, but he truly loves me and his motives although not always totally selfless are positively angelic compared to yours and I have constantly failed to see it, but no more Bill, there is nothing you can do or say which will alter the decision I have made, I am marrying Eric again, he is already my husband by vampire law and I am not only going to make him my husband in the eyes of human law but also I want him to be my Sire, I want to be a vampire and I want to be with Eric forever" I say.

"He tricked you into marrying him with the knife" Bill protests.

I shake my head again, "No he didn't, he made a decision to keep me safe and to help me keep my autonomy, something you wouldn't understand, yes he was high handed the way he did it and failed to communicate to me his reasoning at the time, but I see now that he did it because he had no other choice available and it was the only way so that I could keep my independence which he knows is important to me and he respects that – unlike you, and he gave that to me and when I finally understood that it made me love him even more" I say.

"But" Bill protests.

I start to lose patience and let rip, "NO BILL" I shout and he looks taken aback.

"Just go and get it through your thick skull that I love Eric, and nothing you can say or do will change that – you failed Bill, you failed your mission and Sophie Ann is now dead, and I will say this and I will say it once so make sure it sinks in and registers in that dead brain of yours, I. DO. NOT. LOVE. YOU. I. HATE. YOU. YOU. MAKE. ME. SICK!"

I shout the final words and make sure to shout them slowly and clearly so there is no misunderstanding what I am saying, when I have finished I look past Bill at the tall blond figure who has just dropped neatly out of the sky into my yard and my heart leaps. I watch as he saunters towards me.

"Hi honey," I say with a grin.

I can feel love and pride radiating through the bond and I have no doubt he has heard every word, in fact I wouldn't put it past him to have stayed out of sight and listened to everything, timing his entrance to perfection!

"Lover" he purrs, and as he reaches me, he pulls me into his arms lifting me off my feet.

I giggle and wrap my arms and legs around him and he devours my mouth with a possessive kiss, I can feel his arousal growing between us and he actually thrusts his hips towards me, as he does this, I hear Bill almost whimper.

Eventually, after I believe we have given Bill enough of a free show, I peel myself off Eric. As he pulls away and lowers me gently to the ground he turns towards Bill, and he shamelessly stands so that the huge protruding bulge, straining in his jeans can clearly be seen.

"Good Evening Bill," he says coldly.

"Sheriff" Bill replies and I see him take a step back. He looks uncomfortable at our open affection and after glancing at Eric's impressive groin area he tries to look everywhere but at us.

I turn towards him, "Have I not made myself clear?" I ask.

"But, Sookie" Bill protests.

I sigh, "If you are too stupid accept what I have just told you then that is your problem, now can you go please, I'm bored of this and I'm sick of you!" I say flapping my hand at him.

Bill hesitates and Eric takes another step towards him his fangs down, but with anger this time rather than lust.

"Do you insult her further?" he hisses.

Bill takes a shot look at Eric, keeping his eyes firmly on Eric's face before he sadly shakes his head, I watch as he then turns and disappears into the woods.

When I am certain he is gone I make my intentions totally clear as I reach down and caress the bulge in Eric's jeans before practically dragging him inside.

"Let me help you lover" he whispers seductively and he lifts me into his arms, then and at vampire speed we are upstairs, naked and I am beneath him and we are soon lost in each other.

When I return to my senses we are lying sated on my bed, I remember my confrontation with Bill I turn to Eric, "I swear to god if he tries to ruin my wedding or interfere with you turning me I will stake him myself" I say.

The amusement is visible on Eric's face and evident through our bond as I say this and I shove him with my elbow.

"Don't you laugh at me Eric Northman, I'm serious," I say.

"I wouldn't dream of it" he pauses and looks carefully at me, "You should know I heard everything, from the moment he arrived at your door, and you were magnificent," he says proudly.

"I thought so," I say and I press a quick kiss to his lips.

"What do you mean?" the surprise is clear in his question.

"The timing of your arrival was just a little too perfect," I say with a smirk.

Eric shrugs, but there is a knowing glint in his eye, "You seemed to be handling Compton perfectly, I didn't wish to interfere," he says innocently.

"You don't think he will try and disrupt anything will he?" I ask as Eric moves to get up.

He shakes his head at me, "No, even he wouldn't be so stupid as to disrupt a siring, that is a honour offence and very serious, more so considering I am his sheriff, it would be an act of serious disrespect to me personally as well as of our kind, and I would be within my rights to end him on the spot if he were to try and interfere and stop me from turning you," he says soothingly.

"Eric, can I ask you something?" I say carefully, he pauses and turns looking at me expectantly his eyebrows raised.

I take a deep breath, "earlier when you phoned, I got something through our bond, you seemed relieved when I assured you Bill wouldn't change my mind...surely you know by now that I love you and I hate Bill, nothing he could do or say would change my mind?" I say, I am careful how I word this as I don't want to insult him by saying he was being insecure, even though he was.

Eric shakes his head again and then shrugs but this time I see it is defensively rather than nonchalant.

"You refuse to acknowledge your status as my wife until we marry by your customs, I...I did not wish for anything or anyone to dissuade you from that," he stops speaking and he is looking at his clothes as if they are the most interesting things in the world.

"Eric look at me" I say and he turns to face me.

"I _do_ acknowledge you as my husband, and if I am honest I have done for a long time, I'm sorry if you feel that I have refused to, because although I admit that I did do that, at the beginning, that is really not true now, you are my husband and I love you with all my heart, I just want this ceremony because...because, this is what is familiar to me, I _know _I am married to you but I just don't _feel_ married, simply because giving someone a knife isn't customary for humans and although I know, and more importantly now accept it is for vampires, I just want what is familiar to me to be part of it, something familiar that I can relate to, do you get what I'm saying?" I stop and wait for him to acknowledge what I have said, hoping I haven't insulted him.

I watch him think about it and slowly he nods, "I understand, I believe I too would not consider us properly married, if we had only performed a modern human ceremony, as I have been a vampire for so long and because human wedding ceremonies were different in my human days."

"That is why I want to honour your Viking traditions as well as much as I can, so you don't feel excluded from the ceremony" I say.

Eric nods again and I let out a sigh of relief and walk over to him and hug him when I reach him he pulls me tightly to his chest.

"Just remember Bill Compton is nothing, he is less than nothing, but you however are everything and more to me." I whisper to him as he holds me.

He wraps his arms around a little tighter and me kisses me soundly "and you are everything and more to me" he replies.

We get dressed and head downstairs and I get Eric some blood, I'm sure he doesn't really need any, but my grandmothers upbringing about being a good hostess to visitors is so ingrained I can't help myself.

We sit down and after he has drunk his blood, Eric looks excitedly at me, "I have much to tell you Sookie" he says as he grasps my hands in his.

"OK," I say and wait for him to continue.

"Pam has offered to help with the arrangements her exact words were, _'If it were left to you to arrange she wouldn't have anything decent.'_ So she has arranged a wedding ceremony at the Royal Hotel just outside Bon Temps, is that agreeable to you? She said it was customary for the ceremony to be held close to where the bride resides and after looking at the options Pam decided this was the nicest location on offer, plus it is a vampire inclusive hotel?" he looks at me carefully almost anxiously, waiting for my reply.

I am stunned so I just nod, I have driven past that hotel many, many times but never gone in it, it is the most expensive hotel around here and I am shocked that they cater for vampire/human weddings.

It occurs to me that although he was clearly affronted at Pam's suggestion he wouldn't provide me with a decent wedding it hasn't stopped him from offloading some, if not most of the arranging on to her. I return my attention to him as he continues to speak.

"Pam has also arranged your wedding gown, she informed me that it was customary for the bride and her attendant to view the garment beforehand but I was banned entry for this ritual," he says almost in a hurt tone this time.

I smile and nod again, "Yes, it's considered bad luck for the groom to see the wedding dress before the day" I explain.

He nods in understanding "Then I will comply with your superstitions, you are to meet Pam tomorrow night to view the dress and to determine if it needs any alterations before purchase". Before I can respond he carries on, "Pam has told me to inform you that she wishes to honour you...erm...matron you...erm" he stops and looks at me with a slightly confused expression.

I giggle, "Do you mean she wants to be my matron of honour?"

Eric nods, "Yes," he says.

"A matron of honour is the closest friend of the bride who is married, Pam never married did she, so she can be my chief bridesmaid instead if she wants to be – it means exactly the same thing but if she wants to do it right she has to have the right title."

I am teasing him, but he solemnly reaches for his phone and calls Pam. I bite back my laughter when he briskly tells her _'You are to be Sookie's chief bridesmaid as you are unqualified to be a matron of honour'_ and then hangs up, unsurprisingly a moment later my phone starts to ring.

"Sookie what is the meaning of this?" Pam says before I can even speak, I smile at her defensive tone.

"It's ok Pam, I was just telling Eric that a Chief Bridesmaid and Matron of honour are the same thing, they are a close friend of the bride who helps her with her arrangements and stands with her on the day, the only difference is, a chief bridesmaid is someone who has never married herself, whereas a matron of honour is the name given if that person is already married" I say, realising that teasing a vampire is really not a good idea, something I should have known, as older ones like Eric and Pam take things so literally.

"I see, but the role is the same?" Pam asks.

"It is" I confirm.

"Are you agreeable for me to assume this role?" she asks warily.

"I am Pam, I have considered you my friend for a long time," I say sincerely.

"And you are my favourite breather" she replies.

"Well that's good to know," I say with more than a hint of sarcasm.

"Eric has also asked that I witness your rising?" Pam says, thankfully not noticing the sarcasm which tinged my last comment.

"I know, he said that he is inviting Karin to that as well," I say.

"If she comes" is the terse response.

Well ok then! I immediately wonder if there is some sort of issue there, I will have to ask Pam when I get her on her own.

"I will come for you tomorrow evening at sunset and we will complete the arrangements, I have Eric's credit card already and have completed most of the arrangements already" she says and then hangs up, and I am left staring at my phone slightly overwhelmed but also amused at Pam's enthusiasm, but also thinking I have to teach her some phone manners too.

My attention is brought back to Eric who is speaking to me.

"Niall has requested you incorporated your Fae heritage into the ceremony," he says carefully, watching my reaction to this news.

I register what he is saying, "What?!" I exclaim.

"Niall has requested you incorporated your Fae heritage into the ceremony" he repeats.

I shake my head firmly, "No, I want this to be Supe free, this is important to me, I am marrying as a human, well mostly human and I want to incorporate your Viking heritage, and that was when you were human, this is important to me Eric" I say firmly.

I inwardly cringe though, I sound like a child having a tantrum, and I sound as though I am only one step away from stamping my foot.

Eric nods, "I told him as much, but he was hoping a compromise could be reached, I mentioned you wanted to wear a ceremonial head dress to honour my Viking heritage and he asked you consider wearing one he provided instead, he assures me it will contain no Fae magic, this is all he asks" Eric says.

I consider that, it will save me having to make one, and I wasn't sure what I was going to make, so I slowly nod, "Ok" I say warily.

Eric nods back at me, "that is settled then I will inform him" he says.

"Now, I have arranged the ceremony for Friday is this agreeable to you?" he asks.

What! hang on a minute, _this _Friday?! "This coming Friday?" I ask.

Eric nods, I quickly think, today is Tuesday that is less than a week, but he seems confident that everything is arranged, so I wordlessly nod, I wanted this so I guess I will just go with the flow.

"And you agree for me to turn you after the wedding?" Eric asks carefully.

"I do," I say firmly.

"Good, after the wedding ceremony, the hotel will provide refreshments for you and your human guests, and there will be blood available for myself, Pam and Karin, then we will retire to a room in the hotel where we will consummate our marriage, and then..." he pauses "I will proceed with the first part of the turning if you still wish it to happen."

He stops speaking and is clearly waiting for some response from me, I nod and this seems to satisfy him as he smiles and then continues.

"Once I have completed the first part of the turning, you will be placed in a casket I will join you in that casket and we will return here, where Pam and Karin will bury both you and I in the ground outside, to await your rising the following evening, is this agreeable to you?" Eric asks.

"Sounds good to me," I say with yet another nod, he sounds so matter of fact about the process but to him, I'm sure it is simply a process, but this is my life we are talking about.

Eric smiles at me he is clearly feeling my emotions about this and he caresses my arms and pushes calm and love through the bond, then he takes my hands in his and presses them to his chest.

"I swear that I will make the whole experience as pleasurable as I can for you, I promise you there will be no pain, it will start off just like when I feed from you and I make that pleasurable for you do I not?"

I nod, and he continues, "you will slowly fall asleep and when you wake up again you will be a vampire."

"Ok," I say glad he has explained it to me.

"Good, then it is all arranged," he says.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

The next evening I am waiting with growing excitement for Pam to arrive, I have been back from work for about an hour and I think back to my unusual day today. I had been doing a bit of gardening this morning before I went to work when Niall had dropped by to see me and I think back to the encounter. I was just finishing up when the familiar popping sound alerted me to the presence of a fairy...

"_Is that you Niall?" I ask looking around me, and gripping my iron trowel tightly._

"_Do not fear Sookie, it is I" Niall's familiar voice replies, and a moment later I see him walking towards me. I relax a little and let my grip on the trowel loosen._

"_What can I do for you Niall?" I ask._

_Niall glances warily at the trowel but then smiles widely at me, "It is more what I can do for you Sookie. The vampire informed you that I wished for you to incorporate Fae tradition into your ceremony?"_

_I nod cautiously, "He did, and I told him I didn't want any Supe references I want it totally human, I will be a human – well mostly human and it will be a human ceremony, the only differences are that I am incorporating some Viking traditions for Eric to honour his human life" I say a little defensively._

_Niall nods, "the vampire informed me of this, he told me that you were planning to wear some sort of crown in line with his Viking customs?"_

_I nod but don't say anything._

"_In which case I was wondering if you would do me the honour of wearing this, as I recall from that period, the crown the bride wore was usually a family heirloom so this would qualify in that respect," I watch as he produces a package from inside his coat and offers it to me. Hesitantly I take it remembering what Eric had told the last night._

"_What is this?" I ask._

"_This is the Brigant family ancestral crown," he says proudly I gulp as I carefully unwrap it._

_I gasp as I lay eyes on it, it is absolutely beautiful, it is intricately weaved metal encrusted with diamonds and sapphires which remind me immediately of Eric's eyes. I look at it carefully._

"_What metal is this? Because if it is silver I can't wear it, I can't risk burning Eric."_

_Niall smiles, "it is not silver, it is the finest platinum," he says proudly._

_I look at him carefully, "Are there any spells or magic attached to it?" I ask suspiciously._

_Niall shakes his head, "No, nothing at all, Sookie there is no ulterior motive or underhanded desire involved, you are of my line and every Brigant female has worn this crown when they married, and I wanted you to join them in that tradition"._

"_It must be very old" I murmur more to myself than to anyone._

"_It is over 5,000 years old" Niall proudly says._

_I nearly drop it in shock, "really?"_

"_Indeed," he says._

_I snort, "Well that's my something old covered then" I say flippantly. _

_Niall looks at me in confusion,"it's a human wedding tradition, when a bride marries she has something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue on her at the time, it's considered good luck" I explain with a shrug._

_Niall beams at me, "then I am also helping you fulfil your human tradition"._

"_Yes I guess you are, ok thanks, Niall I'll wear it...erm did you know Eric is turning me after the wedding ceremony?" I say, looking at him carefully to gauge his reaction to this news._

_Niall nods solemnly, "The vampire informed me of your request and his agreement to become your Sire." _

_I am starting to get slightly irritated by Niall constantly referring to Eric as 'the vampire' although I have heard Eric call Niall 'fairy' and he always refers to Sam as 'the shifter' and he uses even more derogatory terms when he talks about Alcide, and so for now I bite my tongue and don't mention it._

"_Erm...would you like to be there to witness my rising? I mean you don't have to but..." I stop and Niall smiles at me._

"_I don't think that would be a good idea, I can mask my scent, but as a newborn you will be highly susceptible and sensitive to any fairy in the vicinity and I don't believe my cloaking abilities would be enough to conceal my scent from you at that point in time and I'm sure you would be most distressed if you were to attack me" he says._

"_Oh I hadn't thought of that, yeah I suppose you are right. But you are coming to the wedding?" I ask and Niall confirms that he is..._

I am drawn from my memory by Pam's voice, I look up and she is climbing out of her car.

"You were deep in thought," she says.

"Yes I was, I was just thinking about what happened today," I say.

I explain quickly about Niall's visit this morning and after explaining the something old, new, borrowed and blue tradition Pam beams at me.

"The fairy crown can be your borrowed talisman as I have a gift for you which would qualify as something old, plus I am certain you will have to return the fairy crown, what I am about to give is yours to keep" she says excitedly and she reaches into the car and pulls out a box and hands it to me.

I take the box from her, "Thank you, what is this?"

"This was mine when I was human, and when I picked your dress I thought these would go perfectly with it and I was going to give them to you to wear".

I stare at her and open the box, inside is an exquisite necklace it is a pearl choker with a single larger teardrop shaped pearl hanging from the front.

"Pam this is gorgeous" I exclaim as I stare at it.

Pam laughs, "It was a gift from my betrothed, I met Eric before I married so he never saw me wear it, I was wearing it the night I met Eric, he removed it from my neck before he turned me, I feel it is fitting that you should wear it for your wedding to my Sire and that Eric should remove it before he turns you and becomes your Sire also".

"Pam, I don't know what to say" I quickly realise this is very, very old as well. "I am honoured Pam, are you sure you want me to have this?" I ask.

Pam nods, "I am, after we spoke on the phone last night and you told me you thought of me as your friend I considered your words and realised that you _are _my friend Sookie and this is my way of honouring that friendship".

I am touched by this gesture and unthinkingly I reach out and hug Pam, she stiffens and quickly pats my back before pushing me away and glaring at me.

"Sorry, I'm just a little overcome," I say quietly.

She nods, "I forgive you, as I believe that is what friends do, but do anything like that again and I will break your arms," and I know she isn't joking or making an idle threat.

"Shall we get going?" I quickly run inside to leave the necklace behind and head back out, Pam is already in the car and waiting to go.

I am surprised when we head out towards Shreveport and she takes me to a very upmarket mall, with a number of designer stores, I gulp and check myself, I'm not dressed too shabbily today as I knew I was going out with Pam but I still feel like a poor relation when I look at some of the stores in front of me.

Pam must sense my hesitation and discomfort as she grasps my hand and pulls me forward "You look fine Sookie, you are expected, appointments have been made" she says airily.

I gulp again, "Ok" what she said hasn't helped and I am still feeling very uncomfortable.

Pam marches towards a shop, and as we walk in the assistants turn and stare at me, looking me up and down they are clear broadcasters and their thoughts are not pleasant, I shrink away and grab Pam's arm.

"Look can we just go," I say quietly.

Pam sees my distress and we head back outside. "What is it?" she asks.

"I heard them," I say quietly and tap my head, Pam understands immediately.

"What were they thinking?" she asks.

"The tall blonde one was wondering what the hell was I doing in there, and she couldn't understand why I was with you, and she wondering if she should ask me to leave, the shorter blonde one thought I was white trailer trash and she too was thinking about asking me to leave and to wait for you outside, and the brunette...well she was thinking that if you wanted to shop in the store, then you should leave your poor human relations at home".

Pam's eyes flash dangerously and she grabs my hand and to my horror she marches right back into the store and up to the three women.

"Good evening, my friend is getting married, you will help us, we have an appointment, a bridal gown waiting to be picked up, and you will treat my friend with respect," she says there is a dangerous tone to her voice and the women would be wise to notice. The three women stare at her with open mouths, but Pam continues unconcerned, "The dress is reserved under the name Northman you will fetch it now".

"Pam" I whisper.

Pam shakes her head, "No Sookie, Eric will be furious if he knows you have been treated so poorly, he spends a huge amount of money here".

"Pam they haven't actually done anything, they were thinking those things" I whisper.

"No Sookie" Pam snaps and looks at me in such a way which silences me completely. I return to flitting through the thoughts of the women again.

I get flashes of recognition from the minds of the three women when Pam mentioned Eric's name and they all look at me again, now they are wondering who I am marrying to be linked to Eric Northman. Pam turns to the women and as if she is answering their unspoken thoughts speaks again.

"Mr Northman will be most displeased if you do not assist his bride accordingly."

That does it and the thoughts have turned particularly ugly and now are containing the words gold digger and whore, I grab Pam's arm, "Please Pam I want to go, now".

Why?" she asks.

I sigh, I point to the brunette, "she thinks I'm a gold digger and she can't understand why Eric would want to marry me," I point to the small blonde, "and her exact thoughts were similar but even worse she called me a gold digging whore," I realise the other woman has gone, but she returns with a very beautiful and expensive looking dress draped over her arm and she has a plastic fake smile plastered on her face, but her thoughts are not complimentary either, she clearly heard what Pam had said and her thoughts are mirroring the other women.

"What is this one thinking?" Pam asks me pointing at the assistant with the dress.

I shrug "Much the same, gold digging whore, white trailer trash, Eric must be out of his mind to even consider marrying me," I say sadly.

With that Pam pulls out her phone and makes a call, she outlines the difficulty we are having and relays what I heard in the minds of the women, it seems like only a moment later when the doors burst open practically coming off their hinges as Eric strides in, the three women immediately stand straighter and start preening and fawning over him, he ignores them completely, and comes to me.

"Sookie my love," he says and wraps his arm around me and kisses me tenderly.

"Hey," I say and touch his face, amongst the volcanic anger I am feeling from him directed at these women he is still managing to send me love, comfort and positivity through the bond and I love him for it.

He kisses me again and then turns to the women, his eyes are flashing dangerously and his fangs descend which is an indication of just how angry he is.

"You disrespect my wife you disrespect me" he growls and the fake smiles immediately vanish and the three women look afraid. Yeah bitches be afraid!

"I...I...I" one stammers.

"We..." another begins.

Eric shakes his head, "I will not patronise any establishment, which its employees insult my wife so consider my account here closed and also consider the fact you are still breathing as a very fortunate" he says coldly and grabbing my hand goes to lead me from the store.

This has clearly worried them and from their thoughts, I realise they work on commission, so if Eric spends an obscene amount of money here their earnings are going to be severely curtailed if he takes his business elsewhere. I find it amusing to realise that they were more worried about losing Eric's income than their lives. They truly were very shallow materialistic women.

I wait quietly by Eric's side, he has his arm wrapped possessively around me, as the three women try desperately to change his mind, but they are still totally ignoring the fact I am there. Eventually Eric turns to me.

"Do want to give this store your custom lover?" he asks me ignoring the women who are still apologising profusely – to him, not me, the one who their disgusting thoughts were directed at.

I shake my head, "No, not after what they thought of me, just because I wasn't wearing designer clothes and looking like I stepped off the runway they judged me and made assumptions about me, they wanted me out of the shop, they are only interested in the money you spend here because they get commission on everything they sell and in my opinion they don't deserve to benefit from it" I say and I turn to the women, who are now standing there with their mouths hanging open at my words.

"I'd sooner be poor white trailer trash than superficial money grabbing vicious bitches" I spit at them.

With that Eric nods and turns to the women once more, "consider my account closed" he says, then he, Pam and I leave the store.

"Great, now what do we do?" Pam asks when we are outside.

I look at the array of other shops in front of me, "Pam there are many shops here, I'm sure I can find something in one of these".

She smiles and pulls Eric's credit card from her purse and waves it at me, "Let's go then."

After visiting three shops I am not so positive, Eric has now gone but I think before he left he went he went into every shop in the mall and threatened them to treat me well as we don't encounter any more negative assistants in any of the stores we have been in, in fact, everyone we have encountered has fallen over themselves to help us.

When we enter the fourth shop I see a beautiful pearly white coloured dress hanging up, it's not a bridal gown, it is more of an evening gown but it is totally stunning, I stop dead when I see it, Pam sees it at the same time and we look at each other and walk over to it.

"Oh god Pam this is gorgeous, the material has a sheen to it like pearls and the colour would match the necklace you gave me exactly," I say excitedly.

Pam nods, "It is very beautiful" she agrees.

I glance at the price tag and nearly die of shock. Pam sees the look of horror on my face.

"Don't you dare Sookie, Eric wants you to have whatever you want, you loved this dress before you looked at the price so do not spoil this," she says sharply. She unhooks the dress from the display and pushes it at me, "Go try it on".

I nod and go into the dressing room, the dress fits me perfectly, as if it was made for me and it looks...wow, I turn around and stare at myself, it hugs all the right places and falls beautifully I walk out and Pam lets out an exclamation and to my surprise her fangs run out, she quickly shakes her head and shuts her mouth controlling herself.

"Sookie you look amazing, that dress was made for you, you have to have it" she says after a moment.

I can't help but agree but the four figure price tag is still playing on my mind, I think about what Pam said, Eric wants me to have whatever I want, I look at myself in the mirror again, I will only be getting married once, I laugh inwardly as I think how silly that sounds when I am already married according to vampire law but this is my moment, this ceremony is all for me, '_Eric wants you to have whatever you want._' I push back the niggle about the cost and look at Pam.

"I think I've found my dress" I say and Pam nods.

We quickly find matching shoes and I am in awe of Pam, she can shop! We leave the store I am happy, but the amount of money I have just spent I would never make in several lifetimes, and yet Pam handed over Eric's card without batting an eyelid.

"That took longer than I thought," Pam says after a moment.

I thought we had wrapped things up quite quickly but I am guessing she was referring to the fact she was expecting me to have the original dress at the first store.

"I am to take you for a Spa treatment on Friday, you will arrive at the Spa at 2 pm and Eric has arranged for you to have anything you want. He said he wanted to replicate some sort of Viking tradition that you two had discussed, I will meet you there at sunset and when we are ready I will escort you to the hotel where Eric will be waiting" she says.

I nod, "Pam can I ask you something?"

Pam pauses and after a moment agrees with a curt yes.

"When we were talking about Karin you said if she comes, what did you mean?"

She thinks for a moment and then pulls me into a nearby cafe, we grab a table and she orders a bottle of Trueblood and I order a coffee and she starts to explain.

"Karin is...wild, it is what drew Eric to her, he liked her spirit, it was the same as with me, Eric likes strong spirited women, but Karin was different her wildness was tinged with something more...unpredictable and unstable, You will not repeat what I am about to say but I believe he made a mistake in his judgement of Karin's character, I believe she was broken not spirited, don't get me wrong she is and outstanding vampire and fiercely loyal to Eric but she walks her own path, she is known throughout the Supe world as Karin the Slaughterer, she is infamous, she is a mercenary, she will kill anyone or anything for a price, she will even kill vampires and when I say kill them there is nothing quick or clean about any of her killings, she didn't get the name Karin the Slaughter for nothing, Eric released her earlier than perhaps he should have as he realised she would never thrive within his orbit, and although she is fiercely loyal to Eric, there have been times in the past when Eric has called for her but she failed to respond, once she was incarcerated after being caught by the targets she was tracking so that instance can be excused as she actually escaped to heed Eric's call, another time she came but was several days late, nobody knows why. Eric is lenient with her as he feels responsible for her more… unstable behaviour".

"Why what happened?" I ask.

"Ocella happened," Pam says grimly.

"Eric's sire, what did he do?"

"He showed up soon after Karin's rising he wanted to see if Eric had made the correct choice of progeny, he wanted to see if she was...acceptable to his standards" there is bitterness in Pam's tone.

"What did he do?" I ask again.

"He jumped her and he attacked and raped her" Pam says, and my mouth drops open in shock.

"She was a new vampire, Eric was teaching her and he was teaching her well, he knew she had issues with men and from what I have learnt over the years she had been previously mistreated by men since she was a small child, so Eric never asked anything sexual of her, he was within his rights to as her maker but he focussed on teaching her to be a warrior, he saw something in her and he was getting results – outstanding results, she responded to his treatment and started to trust him and his teaching but Ocella turned up and ruined it with that one act, Eric was furious, Karin said he fought like a madman with Ocella, but the old bastard was still too strong and he overwhelmed Eric and well...he punished him." Pam stops and I know from what she has said Ocella probably raped Eric as well, she confirms this by what she says next.

"Eric felt responsible, he tried so hard to bring her around again but that attack seemed to break her, you see, she trusted Eric, he was the first male she had ever trusted and responded positively to and when she saw him violated as well, something snapped but in a strange way it also gave her an extra strength, there was now an underlying viciousness to her which could not be tamed, so Eric taught her to channel it, eventually Eric released her he didn't believe she was ready but she was an extremely competent warrior and she knew how to control herself with humans, even though vampires weren't public back then it was important for us not to draw attention to ourselves. She could blend in but she was also a ruthless killer, predatory in the extreme, but that ruthlessness was only directed towards beings who she believed deserved it. Since then she has made a living as a mercenary - by ending the lives of others who have done wrong and accepts money from people who want these beings dead to do the deed, as I say she is completely ruthless and their deaths are not quick – she makes them suffer and yet she won't accept a commission if she believes the being does not deserve to die."

Pam stops speaking for a moment and takes a long drink of her blood. "Her parting words as she left Eric were if she ever laid eyes on Ocella again she would end him for both of them, needless to say she never has."

"Wow" I say quietly, "Did Ocella turn up at your rising?"

Pam shakes her head, "No, I'd never met him until he turned up with Alexei a few years ago, and that was the first time in about 400 years that Eric had seen his sire."

"So, what era does Karin come from, and where does she come from?" I ask.

"Eric turned Karin about 200 years before he turned me, so that would be in the 1600's he found her in Germany – Bavaria I think," Pam says.

"Did she attend your rising?" I ask, remembering something that had been said previously.

A fond smile crosses her lips, before she speaks again, "she was meant to, that is the occasion I mentioned where she turned up late but we have never discovered why, Eric requested she witness my rising and she agreed to come, I had already risen by the time she arrived, I had been a vampire for 4 nights when she eventually turned up, she welcomed me and she stayed for a while to teach me with Eric, but she soon left again, I haven't spoken to her in over 100 years, but I know she lives, when you join us the bond you have with Eric will increase and you will feel my presence and Karin's presence as we too share Eric's blood."

"Like when Ocella came, it sent me a bit funny as I felt him in the bond," I say, remembering how awful it felt at that time.

Pam laughs, "Sort of, but it won't be unpleasant like that experience, Ocella was deliberately trying to make you feel unstable. It will be more like you will know we are there like a presence, so if anything happened to either of us that presence would vanish" she says.

"Do you think he will turn up to my rising?" I ask.

Pam shakes her head, "No, he was wounded severely by Alexei not only physically but mentally, it hurt his pride to be wounded by such a young vampire, it hurt his pride that he couldn't control Alexei at all, he went into hiding after that episode and as far as I know he is still somewhere healing."

"That's good," I say with more than a hint of relief.

Pam reaches for my hand, "Eric won't let Ocella harm you, you will not only be his child, you are also his wife, he won't allow anything to happen and will fight to the death for you and he will order me to do the same".

I shake my head and my mouth drops open, but Pam quickly interrupts before I can say anything.

"No Sookie, when Eric turns you it would be expected, and besides I wouldn't want that old bastard anywhere near you either".

My mind is whirling when Pam drops me back at home. Eric is waiting for me and he stands as I get out of the car, as he walks towards me, he looks anxiously at me. I turn briefly to wave at Pam as she drives away before returning my attention to the vampire in front of me.

"Are you alright?" he asks staring at me in that way he has that feels as though his eyes are boring right into me.

I nod and smile, "Yep, I got a dress – a real nice one too," I say brightly.

Eric smiles, "Well I will enjoy ripping it off you on Friday" he whispers as his hands run restlessly down my arms.

I push away from him, "No way mister, I'm telling you now, you are not to damage it in any way, it is the nicest and most expensive thing I have ever had in my life, so if you damage it in any way at all I will damage you!" I poke my finger into his chest to make my point.

Eric throws his head back and laughs loudly, "I will bear that in mind" he says with amusement. Then he looks at me seriously.

"Sookie I do have one question regarding our wedding, in modern human wedding ceremonies it appears it is customary for the groom to have a best man – who fulfils this function and what does this role entail?"

I smile again, "Basically it is someone who stands with you to witness our marriage and he takes care of the rings if there is no ring bearer, which there won't be in our wedding, and someone who just supports you through the day, it's normally the best friend or close family member, say a brother of the groom" as soon as I say this I realise that Eric probably doesn't have anyone like that, vampires don't view friendship the same way as humans, and all Eric's family are long gone. "You don't need to have someone stand with you though" I add quickly.

Eric nods, "So this person would be someone I trust implicitly?" he asks and I nod.

"Yes definitely".

"It has to be a man?" he asks.

I shake my head "No not at all, they say best man as most of the time the grooms best friend, is normally a man" I explain.

"So I could choose Pam," he says eagerly.

I smile "you could, but she has agreed to be my chief bridesmaid."

"Could she not fulfil both roles?"

"Well I suppose she could – you'd have to ask her" I have hardly got the words out my mouth and he is on the phone calling Pam. I wonder if he will order her to be his best man...woman...person. To my great surprise he doesn't ask her over the phone he simply tells her he needs to see her, I don't understand vampires sometimes, why on earth couldn't he ask her over the phone? A short while later Pam appears at my back door, she must have turned her car around and come straight back.

"You called for me," she says as she steps inside.

Eric quickly outlines what he wants her to do and she smiles.

"Eric I am standing with Sookie, I am a chief bridesmaid, why don't you ask Karin to fulfil this role?"

Eric looks as though that thought had never occurred to him, after a moment of thought he steps outside and closes his eyes and tilts his head back. I watch him with interest.

"What is he doing?" I ask Pam who has joined me and is also watching Eric closely.

"Calling for Karin, he is using a Sire's call, he is basically using the blood bond to urge her to come to him, he rarely uses that with Karin, he normally he just relies on technology to contact her, he clearly feels it is important enough to use this method, he is letting her know this is very important to him" she whispers.

A few moments later Eric's phone starts to ring he looks at it and smiles as he answers.

"Karin my child, are you well?" he says in low voice.

I listen to the one sided conversation, "My child I wish for you to return to me briefly, I am in need of your assistance...yes...I am to be wed, ...I am...this is true...I am in love and the person I am marrying is human...she is already married to me in accordance with our laws and we have been bonded for a long while but she has her own customs...after the ceremony...yes I do wish you to stay and witness it...I wish you to participate in the marriage ceremony...yes...it is a request not an order but I would hope you have enough respect for me to honour my wishes and respect my wife and your new sister...yes...she will be your sister...yes Pam is attending, she and Sookie get on very well and she is standing with Sookie as part of the human tradition...yes...you would be standing with me...yes...I do not request much from you Karin...no...Friday...the same night after we marry by human tradition...thank you," he hangs up and looks at us, "Karin will arrive Thursday night". He announces happily.

I look at Pam who looks sceptical, "We'll see" she whispers in my ear.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

The next couple of days pass in a blur of activity, I am continuing to work but I have taken the decision to hand in my notice. Sam is sad to see me go and tells me as much, but he also understands that working for him wouldn't be ideal when I am a vampire, to begin with there are the logistics, I won't be living in Bon Temps any more, and it seems ridiculous to travel the distance each day from Shreveport.

Then there is the fact that, even though the regulars at the bar have known me since I was a child, I have heard some of their thoughts about what they really think of me, and I know for a fact being served by a vampire wouldn't go down well, and I really don't want to have an adverse effect on Sam's business. So, it is decided that Thursday is my last shift and when I walk in to start all the regulars are there and all the other waitresses – with the glaring exception of Arlene and they all wish me well. They have had a small collection and I am presented with large bouquet of flowers, and a card signed by everyone, I am touched by their generosity but I also make a point of not looking into their heads to see what they are really thinking, as I don't want to spoil this moment, and for just once, I really want to believe everyone is pleased and happy for me. After I pull myself together I take my flowers out to Sam's office where he has a vase ready for them until I finish my shift and then I head out to start work.

With all the wedding preparation and everything happening so quickly I haven't really had a lot of time to think about the other things that have been going on, like this imbalance thing which it appears only Eric and Niall noticed is happening. I go through what we know, over and over and none of it makes sense, I try and put the end of days theory that Niall came up with out of my mind as that is just too horrible to comprehend, I mean if that is the case then surely that is going to be bad for everyone, human _and_ Supes.

I decide to be really selfish, and stop worrying about it at the moment, it is something we can look into more after I become a vampire, and I mean who knows I may start noticing different things then. I think how shallow I sound, but quite frankly the most important thing going on in my life at the moment _is_ my forthcoming wedding and the fact I am going to become a vampire on the same night. I am so excited about both of those events, but on the negative side (because there always has to be one of those!) I have the added worry that Bill is going to come along and try and screw things up, but I'm serious when I say I will stake him if he tries to ruin anything.

Then I realise, that I am now concerned wondering if Eric's first child Karin is going to do the right thing and show up for Eric, and that concern is the one that seems to be at the forefront of my mind as she is meant to be arriving tonight. So, that is how I spend most of the my shift, on tender hooks waiting and wondering, Pam has made it clear that she will believe it when she sees it, but I hope she does make the effort and come for Eric. I am more than nervous about meeting her as she has somewhat of a reputation. Eric has assured me everything will be fine and that he will bring her when I finish my shift to meet her. About half way through my shift the door opens and I look around and I am surprised to see Pam arriving as I am working, I pause and look at her.

"Hi is everything ok, is Eric alright?" I ask wondering why she is here this early in the evening.

Pam nods, "Karin has arrived", I can tell by her demeanour that she is still shocked that Karin has come through for Eric, but I am delighted.

"Eric will be bringing her here to meet you soon" she says, my delight disappears to be replaced with fear and panic at the thought.

"Oh I see," I say nervously.

"Do not fear, she will not harm you" Pam says confidently.

I nod and try and look as though I believe her.

"Can I get you anything?" I ask feeling only slightly better after Pam's assertion that I won't be killed on sight by Karin.

Pam has a bottle of blood and then a short while later she just stands and leaves, I wonder where she is going and why, but I don't ask, I just carry on with my work. As I am wondering why Pam has gone, the door opens and she returns followed by a very tall brunette with hard, dead brown eyes, and then Eric, I realise immediately this must be Karin.

"Sookie" Pam calls, I walk over nervously, I see Sam watching and the look on his face when he sees Karin is a picture, and I realise that she clearly has a reputation with all Supes.

As I reach him, Eric immediately pulls me close, "My love, this is my child, Karin, she has been my progeny since 1643" he says proudly. "She now travels the world and rids the Supernatural and human world of undesirables".

I bow slightly, remembering my vampire manners "Hello I have heard a lot about you, Karin the Slaughterer" I say with more confidence than I am feeling.

Karin looks surprised and to my great shock, she returns the bow.

"I have heard much about you, you have had quite the effect on my maker," she says, and then she takes a shot look at Eric, but the look she gives him and then me unnerves me slightly.

"I love him," I say proudly.

Her expression changes and she looks at me with something that resembles pity and shakes her head.

"What?" I ask, my anger rising. Karin stares at me in surprise, clearly noticing the bite in my tone.

"Aah, now I see it" she says cryptically she turns to Eric, "I understand now". With that, she turns and walks out of Merlotte's and Eric immediately pulls away and after kissing me swiftly on the head follows her out without a word.

"What the hell was that all that about?" I ask.

Pam shakes her head, "Don't worry about her that was Karin just being Karin".

My shift ends and I head home, I haven't heard anything from Eric since he ran off after Karin and I'm not in the best mood. I pause and think, am I jealous of her, of the way she behaved and Eric's reaction to it? I dismiss that thought as soon as I think it, but it does make me feel even more irritable. As I climb out of my car, I hear movement I turn and there stands Bill.

My shoulders sag with a resigned inevitability that I am once more going to have to deal with him and I sigh dramatically.

"Oh that's all I need" I mutter to myself, but I'm sure he heard me, the expression on his face said he did. I straighten up and glare at him fiercely.

"What?" I snap, "Come on Bill spit it out, I'm really not in the mood tonight."

He looks slightly taken aback by my attitude but quickly recovers, "Sookie I beseech you" he whines.

I curse loudly as I slam the car door shut and I give Bill a filthy look, he stares at me in shock, and I realise he hasn't seen me in this foul a mood before. After opening my back door I gently place my bouquet down and then throw in my purse and jacket inside before I turn back towards him. He is silently watching me, his expression pushes all my buttons, and I just snap, I've had enough of this so without any warning I march up to him and shove him hard, he is so surprised he stumbles backwards, but he quickly recovers and I see anger flash in his eyes before he quickly hides it.

His reaction fuels my anger and I launch into a tirade, "You are getting on my last fucking nerve Bill Compton" he gapes at me, he has never heard me use foul language but at this moment I really don't give a damn if he is offended.

"I have asked you politely, I have told you, I have screamed at you, I have done everything short of beating the words into you with a sledge hammer, and trust me the way I am feeling at this moment I am very close to doing just that, but you still believe you can stop me from marrying Eric and stop him from turning me, well you can't, I hate you Bill, I could never love anyone who raped me, you are a sick, deluded, twisted vampire who hates what you are, you are pathetic, you creep me out, your constant stalking, I am sick of it and I am sick of you, how much clearer do I have to be, now go away and leave me alone or I swear I will stake you!"

I shove him again and the next moment his fangs are down and he leaps on me pinning me to the ground.

When my initial shock has worn off that Bill has actually attacked me and is holding me down, instead of being afraid it just makes me angrier, I make a point of looking straight at him so he can see I'm not afraid of him, and I sneer into his face.

"Finally showing your true colours eh Bill? So you love me eh? You have my best interests at heart? You want to protect me? You would never hurt me? Well what you are doing at this minute Bill Compton is none of those things, and all you are doing is severely pissing me off and making me want to ram a stake into your worthless heart even more, now get off me."

I wriggle and manage to knee him in his privates, and vampire or not that is going to hurt any man, his grip on me slackens and I manage to pull away, I am thankful for my increased strength due to taking Eric's blood, but as I stand I realise his grip slackened because he had been roughly pulled off of me. I look up expecting to see Eric, instead I see Karin with Bill in a strangle hold and a stake directed at his heart.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't end you this second Compton?" she hisses calmly.

"Karin the Slaughterer, you show up like a bad penny once again," Bill says contempt pouring from his words. But I can see he is also very afraid.

I look at her she has absolutely no expression on her face, she is as calm and cool as if she is discussing the weather with him.

"I should have ended you years ago," Karin says, and then she looks at me for the first time. "Are you hurt?" she asks me briskly.

"No" I whisper, cringing at how shaky my voice sounds, I'm not scared of Bill, but at this moment I am terrified of Karin, she is giving off vibes of being a very dangerous vampire.

She nods and returns her attention to Bill "You raped this human?" she says coldly.

"NO" he exclaims loudly, now that really pisses me off, but Karin turns to me again.

"Breather, you stated that this vampire raped you?" she says almost as if she is clarifying what she previously heard.

When she called me breather this made my anger flare once more, and without thinking of the consequences I glare at her, "My name is Sookie, not breather and yes he damn well did and he knows he did, even though he came up with a million excuses trying to justify _why _he did it to try and excuse himself" I say bitterly.

I am now regretting my anger and hoping that she overlooks my attitude and doesn't kill me next.

But to my great surprise I see a hint of a smile cross her face, but it is quickly gone again and she nods with understanding, and presses the stake closer, and gets right into Bill's face as she speaks to him.

"Let me guess Billy boy, it wasn't your fault, you couldn't control yourself" she says in the same whiny voice Bill uses.

"Sookie understands, I was half starved, we were trapped, I had no idea it was her" As I listen to him, I realise just how pathetic he is.

"Lies Compton, now tell her the truth" she pauses for a second, "Explain to me what happened" Karin demands turning her attention back to me once more.

I quickly tell the story of that time and what he told me afterwards and she shakes her head in disgust.

"You really are a contemptible lying reptile, and you get even more loathsome as you get older, so you conveniently didn't bother to tell her the fact that if you truly loved her as you claimed there would be no way you could drain her and rape her, you would recognise her scent immediately as your mate and summon the self control required" she says.

She presses the stake closer, "what were you going to do tonight Compton?"

Bill shakes his head, and starts stammering denials, "N…n…nothing" he says weakly.

Karin smiles, but it's not a good smile, "Don't lie, you were going to try and dominate her, make her yield to you, sully her with your body so Eric would be forced to end her for being unfaithful, you couldn't have her so no one could?" Karin pauses and I see the truth in Bills expression.

Oh my god! I already knew that it would be a really bad thing if I ever cheated on Eric, as he had explained that to me, but he was going to rape me and make out that I had had sex with him, forcing Eric to punish me, and the punishment for cheating on your husband in the eyes of a vampire is death for both parties involved, he had really lost it, he was willing to lose his life to take me knowing I would die too.

I nearly throw up at the realisation of just how twisted he was. I return my attention back to Karin, who is speaking once more.

"She doesn't belong to you, she's not yours to take, she may only be a human but she is the wife of my sire, your sheriff and she belongs to him, and let's not forget the small detail that she hates you" she says.

Although I am a little pissed at the 'only a human' and the 'belonging' part I keep my mouth shut, as now that I see with total clarity what Bill was going to do tonight, being pissed at being called just a human and being a possession barely registers on my outrage scale. As I am thinking about what nearly happened and its consequences had he succeeded, Eric appears from nowhere and lands at my side.

"What is happening here?" he says sharply.

I look at him and he looks magnificent, his hair is windswept and hanging loose around his shoulders. He looks at me anxiously and I realise I must have been sending some really strange emotions through the bond recently.

"Compton was attacking your human, he was going to rape her, and I believe it was an attempt to force you to have to end her" Karin states bluntly.

I feel Eric's anger rise significantly and I gasp as it momentarily overwhelms the bond and me before he quickly reigns it in, he grabs me and checks me over, he runs his hands over me and his blue eyes which are at this moment like shards of ice from his radiating anger, rake me from head to foot I also get the distinct impression he is smelling me. I realise he is checking to see if I have been violated in any way.

"Did he hurt you? Did he touch you? Tell me what happened to you Sookie?" he asks in a softer voice, but one which is still slightly clipped, so I know he is only barely restraining his anger and only doing so for my benefit.

Upon hearing his voice and realising fully what Bill was going to do and why, I burst into tears and blurt out everything that happened and everything that I, Bill and Karin said.

Eric's head whips around to Bill, then his eyes dart to Karin who has hers now trained completely on him, and he doesn't say a word but just nods once at her. She smiles viciously and with a movement so swift I barely see it she drives the stake into Bill and he disintegrates. I squeal and bury my face in Eric's chest, his large arms go around me and he holds me tightly.

"Sshh its ok, it's over now" he croons as he tries to calm me.

"She does not look it at this moment, but when he was attacking her she was brave and fought him, with training she will make a good vampire," Karin says, as she calmly brushes off Bills remains from her hands and clothes.

I turn toward Karin and remember what she said when she first arrived "What happened between you and Bill, you knew him?" I ask before I can stop myself.

Karin smiles but once again it's not a good smile, "When I was in New Orleans visiting Sophie Ann about 50 years or so ago he was in her court, he was one of her procurers, he was a slime ball he was known for glamouring humans and then forcing himself on them sexually, he has always been a warped and twisted vampire, he became obsessed with me and he made a nuisance of himself, I believe you humans call it stalking, one night he cornered me and he forced his attentions on me, I could have killed him there and then, but he was under the protection of Sophie Ann so I made do with hurting him...severely".

She pauses and shrugs, "He wasn't entirely to blame for the way he was, his maker made him that way, not all of us are lucky to have a good sire," she looks at Eric as she says this. She pauses again and then continues with her story.

"I got away and he had to spend time healing after our encounter, and I promised him that if I ever caught him doing anything similar again I would kill him on sight – tonight I did, and I kept my oath," she says calmly.

I realise that I am relieved that Bill is gone, I have no feelings for him and he was getting to be too much. He was my first and I should be sad he is finally dead, but I'm not, he had long since killed off any lingering affection I may have had for him, and I'm not even shocked that I am glad he is dead.

"He was one of the worst examples of our kind, he was obsessive and deluded that is a dangerous combination at the best of times" Karin continues.

I want to go inside and as I turn I see the wind shadow thing and I quickly point at it "Look there, that elemental thing, it's here again". Eric and Karin spin on the spot and they both see it as well.

Eric stares at it and steps closer, "What do you want with her?" he asks and it's as if his words destroy it, as it vanishes and is gone.

"Was that one of those Shreef things?" I ask, glad that Eric has finally seen it for himself.

Eric stares at the spot and then turns to me, "Yes it was, come on let's go inside".

"You asked it what it wanted. Do you think it wants to speak to me or something?" I look up at Eric and he nods.

"I believe so, it wouldn't keep making itself known to you otherwise, but you will never know, humans and vampires are unable to hear the voice of elementals but I don't believe you are in danger from it though, it appears that it is almost keeping watch over you" Eric says in a puzzled way as if he is trying to work out why it is here.

I realise we are inside and Karin is still outside. I turn around and go back out to her.

"Would you like to come in Karin?" I ask and she wordlessly follows me into my house.

I quickly get Eric some blood and I offer some to Karin, she accepts it with a nod.

"Thank you for tonight" I say quietly to her as I hand her the blood but she just waves her hand dismissively. Eric pulls me into his lap and Karin watches him closely.

"You appear to make my sire happy, I have never seen him this way" she says as she takes a gulp of the blood.

I nod, "I hope I make him happy, he makes me very happy and I love him", I hear Eric growl at my words.

Karin stares at me, "If you care as much as you profess, then why do you demean him by forcing him to perform menial human traditions?" I feel Eric stiffen and I turn towards him my eyes wide.

"I...I..." I stammer, and I realise that in the eyes of other vampires Eric is lowering himself to make me happy, he is making himself look weak because he loves me. Before I can get any more out Eric interrupts and has rounded on Karin.

"Enough! You will remember yourself Karin, I owe my life to Sookie, she took me in and cared for me at great risk to herself when I was out of my mind when I was cursed by witches, and she played a massive part in vanquishing those witches which restored me, she saved me and your sister at the Rhodes disaster, she has put herself in untold danger many times for our kind, and do not forget that she is already my wife according to vampire law, so if you disrespect her you disrespect me, tomorrow night she is joining us completely but she has been unwaveringly loyal to me and all our kind for many years". Eric stops speaking, ending his character reference of me and there is an awkward standoff.

Eventually Karin nods and bows slightly, "Forgive me Eric...Sookie, I was unaware of the debt my sire owes you".

"Because you never stay around long enough," Karin turns sharply at the voice and I glance towards it and see Pam standing in the doorway.

She looks at me, "Are you ok Sookie? Eric took off saying he believed you were in some sort of danger?" and then she grins "for a change" she adds trying to lighten the atmosphere.

I smile weakly at her, "I'm fine, Bill turned up and tried to persuade me to leave Eric again, but I got angry with him and so then he attacked me" I say, I am trying to hold it together but it won't take much for the self control I am desperately trying to hang on to, to disintegrate.

"Where is he now?" Pam asks.

"His remains are outside...Karin killed him" I say and then as I remember what Bill wanted to do to me a sob escapes before I can stop it. Eric immediately pulls me closer and runs his hand up and down my arm and he floods the bond with calm and comfort. I lean back and rest my head on his shoulder and sigh.

I think about what Karin has said and I look up at Eric, "Am I demeaning you by wanting a human wedding?" I ask him, watching his expression closely.

Eric glares at Karin, and then turns his attention back to me, "No my love, you forget it was I who asked you to participate in your human ceremony."

"But" I say but Eric places his cold finger on my lips.

"No" he says firmly and I know from the finality of that, that he considers this conversation closed.

There is a silence for a few moments until Karin breaks it "Is there any chance of Ocella showing up for her turning?" she asks.

Eric shakes his head, "I don't believe so, the last I heard he was still healing from Alexei's attack."

Karin looks at him with surprise, "You haven't heard?" she says.

Eric raises his eyebrows in question but says nothing, I glance at Pam who has now come fully into the room and sat herself down on one of the chairs. She is clearly interested to find out what Karin is going to say.

"Ocella is healed, he has been seen a number of times with Maximillian and it is believed that he used some of his magic to heal him quicker" Karin explains sourly.

"Are you sure?" Pam and Eric both ask at the same time.

Karin nods, "Positive."

"Ocella and Maximillian are not a good combination," Eric says sourly.

"Who is Maximillian?" I ask.

"The original zombie and self appointed leader of their kind, he took all the books of the scientist I told you about and he became powerful in all magic, more so, as he is made with dark magic," Eric says grimly.

"Why would Ocella befriend him?" I ask.

"That is a very good question," Pam says with equally grimness.

"I assume that he wished to be healed, and had little patience to wait for it to happen naturally, so he sought out Maximillian and used him" Eric says.

"So he could show up tomorrow or when I rise?" I ask, I am now starting to feel slightly concerned.

"Anything is possible," Eric says evasively.

"If he does I won't hesitate, you know I will keep my oath" Karin says immediately, I know she is telling Eric that she will kill him, I look at her making sure I look her in the eye. This seems to surprise her and I realise she doesn't know I can't be glamoured.

"If you mean to kill him you can count me in to help you, I wanted to stake that old bastard when he showed up here a few years ago, he made Eric's life miserable the short time he was here" I say bitterly.

I turn to Eric, "If he shows up here and tries to cause trouble again, I won't be stopped this time, I will finish him off" I say, and after a moment Eric nods. "You should have let me do it last time" I add bitterly.

Karin stares at me in shock, "You were in a position to kill Ocella?" she says incredulously.

I nod, "I was, and I was ready to do it as well, he was nothing but a fucking leech" Both Pam and Eric stare at me in shock.

Neither of them has ever heard me curse before, I don't do it often but I have been known to utter the odd profanity and my emotions are so out of control that I have cursed twice tonight, but the thought of Ocella is enough to make me curse now, they appear shocked but Karin laughs loudly.

"I'll never forget that night Alexei went nuts, that week after Ocella showed up had been the only time I have seen Eric look...depressed, for want of a better word" I say sadly.

"Sookie," Eric says warningly.

I turn and shake my head, "No Eric I'm saying it, I have kept this to myself for years since it happened, I hate that fucking vampire with a passion!"

Cursing three times in one night that has to be some kind of record for me! I stop and turn my attention back to Karin who is listening to our exchange.

"Ocella had shown up with Alexei his new child in tow – and he was a child in every sense" I say, remembering the slight young teenage boy who accompanied Ocella.

"...and he was totally insane and the way Ocella treated him was only making his psychosis worse, he – Ocella that is was unable to control him and yet he refused to put him down which I believe is what any maker worth their salt does with an uncontrollable progeny."

Karin nods in agreement at this as she listens closely.

"He had leached off Eric for nearly a week like a parasite. He nearly ruined Fangtasia, not only drinking his way through the profits – he drank all the supply of Royalty and never paid a dime, and I know that blood is real expensive, and he let Alexei run riot in there which scared away most of the clientele. In that short time I had gotten a glimpse of just how sadistic and awful Ocella really was, some if it came through in the blood bond, but he said and did things which just wasn't right, but I saw something else as well, he was weak small man – Eric is a good man, a man full of honour and strength, and he inspires those around him to be loyal to him, Ocella well he just didn't, he did not inspire any respect - all he inspired was disgust and in my specific case several bouts of vomiting."

I pause as I remember the uncomfortable feelings I got through the bond which had made me physically ill at times, I stop speaking and I glance at Eric again who is sitting motionless. I take a deep breath and continue.

"But that night I knew something was wrong, I had received so many bad things through our blood bond that night and so I had persuaded Jason - that's my brother to take me to Eric, and the scene I had been confronted with will live with me forever. The remains of Bobby Burnham – that was Eric's day man were strewn all over Eric's house, Eric and Pam were covered in blood and they were both injured, but thankfully not badly. Eric told me that he and Pam had killed Alexei after he had turned on Eric. He, Alexei that is had already savagely attacked Ocella and severely injured him, after Ocella had tried to regain control over him. I had never seen Eric looking so beaten down and defeated as I did that night and as I was trying to help him, I saw Ocella in the corner he looked in a real bad way, I mean from what I saw there were limbs that had been severed, and I couldn't help myself I saw this was my chance at freeing Eric from him once and for all, hatred and anger had surged through me I had grabbed a stake and gone over to end him, but Eric had stopped me asking me not to do it. So I didn't, but I was angry with Eric for stopping me and angry at myself for listening to him so I had left then, partly to gain control of myself and walk off my anger but also to get some cleaning supplies so I could help with the clean up of Eric's home and by the time I had arrived back Ocella had vanished and I've never laid eyes on him since, and many times I wondered what had happened to him".

"You stopped her?!" Karin asks incredulously, looking at Eric as if he is simple.

"It would not have been an honourable death had she staked him while he lay injured, also Ocella now owes me for my intervention," Eric says quietly.

Karin shakes her head and lets out a bitter laugh, "When will you learn, you may think it was honourable and that he would view your intervention to stop Sookie from killing him as such, and that it would earn you favour from him, but it won't, he isn't an honourable vampire, he will view it as you merely doing your duty to your sire, and you have probably made Sookie's life more dangerous as a result as he won't forget her attempt on his existence, all you did by sparing him was just let an opportunity of a lifetime to free yourself from that bastard slip through your fingers."

"I thought that at the time" I mutter, a little concerned by Karin's assertion that Ocella may want to kill me if and when he sees me again.

Karin stares at me in shock and a smile plays on her lips, "I believe you and I will get along well" she says.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

The next day I am still a little worried about what was said last night. The last thing I want is Ocella showing up tonight. Does he even know that Eric is turning me? I put it out of my mind for now because at this moment I know that I am safe. Thank god for daytime!

I look at the envelope Eric pressed into my hand before he left last night. I have been given strict instructions to hand it to the person I see when I go the Spa today. Pam had already told me about this and I know she is meeting me there at sunset. But I have a number of hours to be primped to within an inch of my life.

I am happy to do it, as going there reminds me of Eric's Viking tradition where the bride symbolically washes away her singleton status in preparation for married life and I think this is why Eric has done this for me; I think Pam also mentioned that when she told me all about the arrangements. I had asked Eric if he was going to do anything like that and he told me with more than a little amusement he would be having his usual shower when he rose, and that he would be sure to wash away all his single life. I smile as I think about him in the shower, that is a magnificent sight and one I will get to look at forever. I have noticed that all vampires are fastidious when it comes to cleanliness, and I look forward to sharing many, many showers with Eric.

I look around my house, it looks cold, and no longer my home, all my belongings have been packed up and I am waiting for the removal team to come to move them to Eric's house. There isn't really much to move, my clothes have now already gone as Eric took them last night. We are keeping the house, but it feels empty now all trace of me has been stripped from it. The furniture is still here and will be staying. All my cooking utensils and other kitchen things that I won't need again after tonight have all been boxed up and taken to Jason.

I spend the morning undertaking all the final preparations for my move and then watch as the remaining boxes of belongings are loaded into the van and sent to Eric's. After lunch I tidy up and take one last look around the house before I lock it up. Pam and I will be going to the hotel from the Spa and I won't be back here until tonight when I will be buried in the ground and I won't be conscious to see any of that. I look around at the spot Eric and I had picked for our 'grave' and I crouch and touch the dirt, this is really happening, this time tomorrow I will be in there turning into a vampire, getting ready to rise for the first time tomorrow night. I am surprised to realise I can't wait, I really want this, now that I have made the decision and come to terms with all the things that prevented me from taking this step I am at peace with my decision and I just want it to happen.

I climb into my car and after a quick look at the directions Eric gave me, I make my way to the Spa.

A sense of foreboding washes over me as I arrive and see the Spa, "Oh god" I whisper to myself, it looks very up market and memories of what happened with the store assistants at that up market mall fill my mind. I bite my lip nervously and with a deep sigh, I walk inside.

"Hello can I help you?" a perky voice says I look and see a young girl smiling brightly at me.

"Hi, yes my name is Sookie Stackhouse, I have a reservation," I say, the girl checks her list and writes something.

She looks up and smiles again "I have your name down right here, now your fiancé has arranged for you to have anything and everything – you lucky thing, you have all afternoon to sample everything we have to offer and all expenses have been covered."

I warm to her immediately and I quickly dip into her mind and am surprised to see she is as genuine as she appears, this makes me relax and I start to look forward to my day here.

"Ok thank you," I say, I remember the envelope Eric gave me, "Oh, I was told to give you this?" I offer the envelope to the girl and she takes it from me with a bright thank you. She opens it and quickly reads the contents and smiles even wider.

"Ok, if you'd like to follow me," she says and leads me through into a small comfortable area.

She disappears and as I wait, someone arrives with a glass of champagne and a soft snowy white robe, a few moments later a whole army of women come out and I am told they are at my disposal for the entirety of my visit. I know this was Eric's doing, he wanted to make this special for me, as I have never had a spa day before so I wouldn't know where to start, this was special in itself but he has managed to make even better. I decide there and then to make the most of this experience and I decide to try everything.

By the time Pam arrives I have been thoroughly pampered and I feel wonderful.

"Well, hello Sookie," she says as she strolls in just as I am having my fingernails manicured and painted.

I look up and beam at her, "This has been the experience of a lifetime" I say by way of welcome.

Pam grins at me, "I knew you would love it, I told Eric so – what woman doesn't love to be pampered?"

"I've never had a spa day before, I've never experienced anything like today" I admit and Pam stares at me in shock at the revelation.

"Well, Eric will be delighted that he provided this for you then," she says kindly.

Pam has what she wants and the women helping her seem to know her and I wonder if she comes here regularly.

"Do you come here a lot, everyone seems to know you?" I ask as we are getting our hair fixed and makeup done.

Pam nods, "Once a month, perhaps we could come together after tonight make it a regular thing?"

I smile at her, "I'd like that Pam, thanks."

Eventually, we are all done and I look and feel a million dollars. Pam ushers me into a side room and there waiting is my dress and new underwear I had bought especially for my wedding. She helps me into my dress and I slip my shoes on. Then she fastens the necklace she gave me around my neck. Finally, she carefully unwraps the crown Niall gave me and places it on my head, I gasp as the sapphires catch the light, once again reminding me of Eric's eyes.

"There," she says and she turns me towards a mirror, I openly gape as don't recognise myself. I have never looked this good before. I just stare, my mouth hanging open.

"Wow" I gasp, "I look like a princess."

Pam laughs, "A fairy princess!" I turn and scowl at Pam and she laughs even harder, and then she nudges me "and the best bit is after tonight you get to look that good for eternity, all you have had done today will stay as it is now forever, and then once a month you can just come with me for the odd touch up!"

I have had my hair cut and styled nicely and I've been scrubbed, waxed, plucked and primped, and I do look the best I have ever looked.

I giggle, "So Eric totally got his money's worth then" as I think over the fact that I won't ever have to have a haircut or waxing ever again.

I look round and see Pam has vanished into another room, a moment later she is back and she looks stunning in a beautiful red dress and matching shoes.

"I love your dress Pam," I say admiring it.

She twirls for me, "Well it is customary for the chief bridesmaid to be dressed appropriately."

"Do you have your talismans?" Pam asks suddenly.

"My, what?" I ask as I wonder what she means.

"Your good luck talismans, old, new, borrowed and blue?" Pam looks at me questioningly.

I quickly go through them, "Old" I touch my necklace and Pam gives me a satisfied smile, "New" I run my hand over my beautiful dress, "Borrowed" I touch my Fae crown, "and blue" I pause and then blush as I think of the blue coloured lacy underwear I am wearing, it is Eric's favourite style and I specifically bought a blue set for today – for luck.

"Blue?" Pam asks questioningly.

I blush harder, "my underwear" I whisper, and Pam grins widely.

"Excellent," she says.

There is a knock on the door and a young girl appears with a large bouquet – red and white roses in the shape of a tear drop and she hands it to me. Then she gives Pam one, but hers is smaller and round. I am overwhelmed.

"You thought of everything" I stammer.

"Of course I did, this was my only chance of experiencing a human wedding ceremony, and I was going to go all out!" she says.

"Do you ever regret not marrying when you were human?" I ask her.

Pam shakes her head, "No, I wasn't marriage material, in fact, you could say I was born in the wrong era, I was just too wild and too rebellious to be a good obedient Victorian wife, my betrothed bored me, I didn't love him, I didn't even like him, he was a weak man, he tried so hard to make me happy but I think even he knew we were not a good match. I didn't want to marry him, our fathers arranged the union as it would be good for the families, but that was how I met Eric, I was running away the night I met him, he had been watching me for a few weeks and he saw my spirit and he was drawn to me, the night I ran to avoid the wedding, he confronted me and he told me what he was, he told me of the life he could offer me and well...the rest is history."

"He gave you the choice?"

Pam nods, "Of course he did, he although he grew to love and embrace this life he hated the fact he was turned against his will, and he gave both Karin and I the choice to say no, that is why when you made it clear you didn't want to be turned he respected your wishes, he didn't like it, but he respected your choice, but he is overjoyed that you changed your mind, I don't think you fully appreciate how much your decision to join us means to him...anyway we need to be going" she quickly shoves me out the door, and the staff who have been at my beck and call all afternoon are waiting for me and they all burst into spontaneous applause, the gesture touches me and I blush furiously.

"Good luck Miss Stackhouse," one woman says.

"Thank you all for today," I say to everyone and I get murmurs of 'my pleasure' from everyone.

We step outside and Pam points to a large black limo idling at the kerb. "This is our ride," she says.

The driver's door opens and a man in full chauffeur's uniform steps out he touches his hat and then opens the door for us. I thank him and slide carefully inside. Pam follows me in and I see there is a bar along one side of the limo, there are two champagne glasses and a small bottle of champagne in a bucket of ice and beside it in a bottle warmer, a bottle of Royalty. I giggle when I see them.

Before we know it we are arriving at the hotel and the driver opens our door for us again.

I take a deep breath and walk inside, waiting in the foyer is Jason, he straightens when he sees me, his eyes widen and his jaw drops.

"Wow...Sookie you look...wow" he stammers, then he glances at Pam, "Erm hello Pam" he adds nervously.

I smile at him, "Hi Jason" I say, I take in his new Tux and run my hand down the front of it, "You don't scrub up too badly either!"

Jason laughs and holds out his arm to me, I slip my hand in his arm and we walk towards a room to the left. As we do so the music starts to play, and I listen carefully, it is beautiful it's instrumental and like nothing I have ever heard before.

"Ready?" Jason asks.

I nod then Pam steps in front of me and walks through the doors.

She pauses and grins at me, "Showtime!" she says and with that, she turns and begins to walk. I watch her go and she almost struts down the make shift isle towards the front of the room.

"Ok our turn," Jason says and he leads me inside. I pause and hold back.

"Thank you for being so...good about all this I know you don't like vampires," I say gratefully. It has shocked me just how mature Jason has been with my decision to become a vampire.

Jason smiles, "Sookie it would be real hypocritical of me to make a fuss, I mean hell I turn into a panther once a month, I was turned into something else, without any choice and it turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me, so if this is what you want and he is what you want then I'm happy for you, now come on it's our turn" I am almost moved to tears by Jason's words, I nod and then I turn to walk towards Eric.

I gasp as I take in the room, it is beautifully and tastefully filled with red and white roses and red and white ribbon. I glance around, I see Sam and Niall and I smile at them, but also here is Calvin and Alcide, they both look very smart in their suits and they both smile at me, I also see a number of the area 5 vampires present, I see Thalia and I shiver, she really scares me, and as I catch her gaze I nod at her and she wordlessly nods back. Then I see Clancy, Indira and Maxwell they are all beaming at me and I smile back.

Then I see Eric, and my breath catches completely, as our eyes meet, I get an overwhelming burst of love through the bond which actually makes me gasp, Jason looks at me as it was clearly audible.

"Are you ok?" he asks with clear concern.

"I'm fine" I reply as I keep my eyes glued on the tall blond vampire in front of me.

I want to run to him as I can feel him urging me closer, but I control myself and continue at a sedate, dignified walk.

I look carefully at him, taking in every detail, he is wearing a custom made tux, which fits him perfectly, his long hair is brushed back off his face and fastened down his back in a braid and it is gleaming under the lights, in his hand he is holding a single red rose, then I see his ancestral sword, it is on his back in some kind of elaborate leather holder and that makes me remember my contribution to that part of the ceremony and I glance around and see my father's gun waiting for me.

At his side stands Karin, and she is wearing an identical dress to Pam but in black and I smile at her. She simply nods at me but other than that shows no emotion. I watch her for a moment and I realise that she is on full alert and surreptitiously scanning the room. Then my attention returns to Eric, he beams at me, his attention is fully focussed on me, his fangs are down and the almost obscene bulge in his pants tells me and everyone else in the room exactly what he is thinking.

I feel myself blush as my eyes rest on his groin and as he sees it he smiles even wider and shamelessly he runs his hand along his straining tenting pants, he is enjoying my embarrassment, he is teasing me and even if I was totally blind and missed the visual indications, the overwhelming feelings of love, desire and lust through the bond spells it out for me exactly what is on his mind.

When I reach him, I pass my bouquet to Pam before Eric leans down and he kisses me, "You look beautiful" he whispers to me and then he hands me the rose and I feel myself blush again.

He runs his hand through my hair which I have left down and he touches the fairy crown. "A perfect combination of your modern human wedding traditions and those from my time," he says.

With a little assistance from the Fae, I think to myself. Then I chide myself for my uncharitable thoughts, Niall only wanted to do something nice.

I say nothing I take the rose Eric has just given me and I tuck it into crown before reaching for him and running my hands down his arms, then I smile and reach down and let my fingers run over his tight muscular stomach and towards the bulge in his pants. He actually gasps at my touch, yeah two can play at that game, I rest my hands on his hips and leaning towards him I stand on my tip toes and kiss him.

"I love you so much" I whisper into his mouth and push every bit of the love I feel for him through our bond. I watch as he closes his eyes and shivers when he receives it.

I hear a small but an insistent cough and we turn toward the official waiting to conduct the ceremony. Eric recovers himself and turns towards the official and I blush once more at what the man has just witnessed.

I take a deep breath and the ceremony begins.

"Who gives this woman to be married today?" the official says.

"I do," Jason says proudly and he places my hand in Eric's. "Be happy Sookie" he whispers and then he goes and sits down.

The ceremony begins and it all seems like a blur, there is a gasp when Eric produces his sword, he pulls it from his back, swings it around his head with a flourish and then he kneels before me and offers me my ring on its hilt, his head bowed. I offer him his ring on the butt of the gun, but not quite so flamboyantly as he did it and he accepts it, he lifts it to his mouth and gently kisses it, never once breaking eye contact with me, then as we place the rings on each other's fingers we recite our vows.

I have no idea what Eric is going to say, he is so literal but I know whatever he says will be from the heart so I am not worried. I wait and as he begins to speak in a clear voice, he looks me in the eye once more.

"Sookie, according to vampire law you have been my wife for some time, but today I make you mine in line with your own human traditions and customs. In front of these witnesses here today, and within the sight of your human Christian god and my human era Nordic gods I proclaim that I will be a true loyal husband, I will love, honour, worship, protect and respect you until the time comes that I meet my final death, I will honour our union for all eternity, I will worship your body with mine, I will protect you with my own life and willingly slay any being who means you harm and I will respect you and treat you as my equal, and I swear I will never treat you as a possession or as a pet, you are my wife and my equal partner, I not only give you this ring as a symbol of our union but I give you my body, my love, my honour and my protection for the rest of my existence".

As he stops speaking you could hear a pin drop, the official is staring at us his mouth hanging open and I doubt anyone has ever heard vows quite like that before. But I can feel Eric's sincerity, I felt it from the moment he started to speak and I reach up and touch his face. I realise it's my turn, with shaking hands I reach for his hand and taking the ring and pushing it onto his finger I recite from memory the vows I wrote.

"Eric, you came into my life and you turned it upside-down, it took me a while to understand and accept the love you willing offered me, but now that I have, I promise you I will never betray it or you, I will love you faithfully forever, I will stand by your side offering you support and unwavering loyalty, no matter what trials we face on our journey we will face them together as one, I swear I will love and cherish you unconditionally for the rest of my existence, accept this ring as a symbol of the love I have for you now and always, everything I am is now yours" I feel a surge of love when I say those final words and I push the ring on to Eric's finger, as it slides into place he lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses my ring before kissing his own, he maintains eye contact with me and I bask in the depths of his beautiful blue eyes then he offers his hand to me and I copy what he has just done.

Then Eric turns and produces his sword once more, he gets down on one knee in front of me and solemnly presents it to me, this time his head is raised and he is gazing intently at me as I take it from him.

"Thank you," I say quietly.

The official is just staring at us, his mouth hanging open and he suddenly realises it's his turn, "I now pronounce you husband and wife" he says in a somewhat dazed tone, "You may kiss your bride."

With those words Eric lifts me off my feet and pulls me to him, Pam quickly steps forward and takes Eric's sword from my hand as he levitates us into the air. He kisses me soundly and presses me against his arousal, thrusting his hips slightly towards me. I hear the applause around us and then finally Eric breaks away from me and still hovering in the air he looks at me questioningly as I gasp for breath.

"So tell me, do you _feel_ married now, do you now consider yourself to be Mrs Northman?"

"Oh yes," I say and wrap my arms around him and kiss him once more; he growls and devours my mouth once more.

After what seems like ages, I feel Eric lowering us back down to the ground and after brazenly adjusting himself he pulls me to his side, I slip my hand through his arm and we walk down the aisle between the chairs where our guests are now standing and clapping.

Eric leads me into a second room where there is a magnificent food buffet laid out for the humans and Weres and also a table with different bottled blood on offer for the gathered vampires.

Eric immediately goes towards it and grabs a bottle of Royalty and I place my hand on his arm.

"Eric, I want to feed you tonight, it will be my last chance."

He smiles and replaces the bottle on the table, "I have not fed yet, but I can wait a little longer."

I immediately grab his hand and lead him from the room. Once we are alone I lilt my head and offer him my neck. He touches the necklace.

"I want to remove this when I turn you and not before," he says, and with that, he lifts my wrist to his mouth instead, he pauses looking at me questioningly, wordlessly asking my permission, and I nod my approval, with that he bites my wrist and feeds from me. I am slightly surprised when he only takes a couple of gulps and then gently heals the wound, and then kisses my wrist gently.

"Thank you my wife", he says.

"Was that enough?" I ask and he nods at me.

"I do not need much at my age" he says, "and besides, I will be taking more later," he adds as he touches my necklace again.

He holds his hand out to me and I wordlessly place mine into it and he leads me back to the reception.

We make a point to mingle with all the guests. Sam comes up and offers his congratulations as does Alcide and Calvin. I hear music and Eric looks up and then leads me to an open area.

"I was informed it was customary for me to dance with you" he explains as he stops and pulls me towards him.

"Oh our first dance" I gasp, he really has thought of everything. "What song did you pick?" I ask.

"Something appropriate" he replies evasively.

My mind goes back to the music playing when I arrived. "What was that music playing when I arrived?" I ask.

He smiles, "That was an ancient tune, I do not know what it was called or its origins, I first heard it at a human wedding feast I witnessed, which occurred sometime in the 12th/13th century and it has always stayed with me, I had perfect recollection of the music and I...taught the musicians to play it for you today, so you could share it" he says.

I think about that, and I realise that by taught, he means glamoured, but I don't mind. My attention is brought back to the here and now and I listen to the music now being played. I recognise it immediately and I smile – it truly is appropriate for today. I start to hum along and then sing to the words.

"You really have put a lot of thought into this" I murmur into his ear.

I feel his smile against my cheek, "The words were appropriate, they conveyed how I see our relationship, and although they are not entirely accurate, after all I will never see a blue sky again and after tonight neither will you."

I inwardly laugh at his literal interpretation of the lyrics, "and I couldn't be happier, how about we modify it to the skies above are navy blue, as in night time?" I'm joking, but Eric beams at me.

"An excellent idea lover," he says approvingly, and then he holds me to him pulling me so close I can feel every inch of him against me.

When the dance has finished we resume our mingling. I notice Jason leaves fairly early but he says goodbye before he goes. He goes to shake Eric's hand and I cringe, but Eric to his credit doesn't show his revulsion and refuse, he simply accepts the handshake.

Eric doesn't leave my side for a moment and he has his arm wrapped tightly around me. As people start to approach us to say goodbye before they leave and they all congratulate us once more.

Thalia drifts over and she looks up at Eric, "You have your reasons for the decisions you make Viking, I am sure in time I will see the positivity of this one".

I am still working out whether or not that is an insult when she addresses me, "the North man tells me you are joining us tonight, he will be an exemplary sire, do not betray or dishonour him" and without waiting for me to respond she walks away.

I look up at Eric, "Don't worry about it lover" he whispers.

Soon it is just me, Eric, Pam and Karin left. So this is it. I look up at Eric and he strokes my face with his finger tips.

"Are you ready to go lover?" he whispers to me and I nod.

With that he wordlessly leads me from the room. I am surprised to find us going upstairs in the lift.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"The bridal suite, of course," Eric replies.

I am surprised, I knew the first part of the turning was taking place here at the hotel but to book the bridal suite, he really has gone all out to make today perfect for me.

As we stop outside the Bridal Suite, Eric picks me up into his arms. "I believe it is customary for me to carry you over the threshold to protect you from any harm," he says in an amused tone. I giggle and nod wrapping my arms around his neck.

Pam and Karin have vanished and I have no idea where they have gone, but I don't really care. Eric opens the door and he steps inside, after kicking the door shut with his foot he drops me down onto my feet and I take in the room, there are red and white roses everywhere, I walk into the bathroom and there is bath run with rose petals floating on the water and lit candles on the shelf, I move into the bedroom and there are more flowers and rose petals on the bed, I feel totally overwhelmed. I feel Eric behind me. He places his hands on my shoulders and gently unzips my dress.

"I want to make love to you once more and for a final time as a human" he whispers in my ear as he gently removes my dress, I feel him press tiny sweet kisses on my cheek and ear and I shiver. I slip off my shoes and my dress pools at my feet and I step out of it. Eric picks it up and folding it carefully he gently places it on the chair, he raises his eyebrows at me and I smile, he remembered what I said about him damaging my dress.

He shrugs out of his jacket and pulls off his bowtie, I reach up and unbutton his shirt and help him out of it, Eric's hands run restlessly over my underwear and he growls in appreciation.

"Will I be in trouble if I tear these from you?" he asks.

I laugh and shake my head, "No, tear away!" I say and with that he grasps my bra in one hand and my panties in his other and with one yank bits of material are scattered around me and I am now completely naked, except for the choker necklace Pam gave me, I know that this won't be removed until Eric turns me.

"Well, Ok then," I say as I look at the scraps.

Eric picks me up and takes me into the bathroom and lowers me into the warm bath, I moan as I feel the warmth. A moment later Eric is climbing in behind me, I look up and come face to face with his very hard very aroused penis, and I reach for him and grasp him in my hand he throws his head back and hisses loudly.

"Sookie" he moans and I lean forward and take him in my mouth, he immediately grips my hair and starts thrusting into my mouth as I lick and suck him. It doesn't take long and soon he is coming down my throat, I swallow and lick him clean.

"That was unexpected but very welcome," he says, and with that he clambers into the bath behind me and pulls me toward him.

"I wanted to give you that" I whisper, Eric reaches for a sponge and gently washes me, avoiding the necklace, I close my eyes as his hands and the sponge wander over my body. Then I feel him pressing small kisses all over me and I shiver.

"You are so beautiful" he whispers.

Before I can respond he is lifting me out of the bath and drying me then he carries me to the bed, laying me down in the middle of it. He clambers on to the bed and nudging my knees apart he settles between them. For the next few hours he worships my body, he starts with my breasts, he touches them with his fingers and then licks them, kisses them and finally he gently nips them with his fangs, the sensation resonates through me straight to my groin and my hips buck.

"Sshh" Eric croons and he moves slowly down my body nipping and kissing, until his head disappears between my legs. I moan as I feel him nudging my folds with his nose, then I feel his tongue probe me gently, he lazily licks at my clit and my hips buck wildly. As he sucks on my clit he pushes a finger inside me and gently starts to move it in and out, I am a mess, moaning and gripping his hair.

"Please Eric" I gasp and he pauses.

"What do you want Sookie?" he asks.

"You Eric, now" I demand.

I feel him grin and he nips my clit with his fangs and I come in rush.

"ERIC" I scream, and dig my finger nails into his head, he growls but through the bond I know this small gesture has excited him even more.

Before I can recover he enters me, so slowly, I marvel at his self control as his roiling emotions through the bond are betraying how he really feels, it fuels my own desire and I grab him and try and pull him deeper, he resists and takes his sweet time pushing into me until I have every last inch of him, I feel full to bursting point as he pushes the final bit of himself inside me and I feel his balls resting against me.

"Oh god Eric" I moan and I move my hips, I can feel nothing but him filling me too full and he just stays still for a moment savouring the feel of me. Then so slowly he starts to withdraw, I want to cry out as I feel him withdraw almost so he is completely out then with one quick thrust he pushes back inside all the way, I gasp at the sensation but he barely gives me time to recover as he starts to move and he moves with purpose, he sets a punishing pace but I reach around him and grasping his butt I meet him thrust for thrust, I feel myself building and building, he flexes his legs and lifting himself he thrusts harder, then he pulls me up, lifting my hips and he wraps my legs around his waist as he pushes up to his knees all without breaking his rhythm he grunts with every thrust and I relish his possession of me.

"God I love you, Eric," I say and I feel him shiver at my words.

"I love you Sookie, my wife, my love," he says, then he starts to speak in a foreign language as he thrusts harder still.

I feel myself tighten and quiver inside, Eric feels it too and he picks up the pace even more, I gasp as the orgasm hits me, and I feel my inside squeeze him hard and once more I dig my finger nails into him, into his back this time. A moment later he freezes and stiffens and pulling me to him as though he is trying to climb inside me he stills and then with a guttural roar I feel him pour himself into me.

He stays motionless for a second and then as he relaxes he lets out a quiet moan "Aah" he breaths, then he looks down at me, for a moment he looks almost serene and then I see concern creep into his eyes.

"I got carried away, did I hurt you?" he asks.

I shake my head, "That was amazing" I say and I see his smug grin at my words.

He starts to thrust again and I am shocked that he is ready to go again already, "This is best" he says as he lazily thrusts into me again. He watches me closely and I know he's looking for any signs of discomfort. I tilt my hips and he moans, then suddenly he stops, slides out of me and flips me over then pulling me onto my knees he pulls me back towards him and once more enters me, he thrusts purposefully and as he does so he reaches and grasps my breasts and gently kneads them with in his hands.

"Oh god Eric I'm going to come again" I gasp.

"Come for me Sookie," he says and thrusts harder, I feel the familiar quivering and I grip the sheets as I reach my completion, I feel him reach his once more. We carry on like this until I cannot take any more and beg him to stop. I am collapsed on the bed totally spent, and Eric gently pulls out of me and lies beside me, then he bites his finger and gently inserts it inside me instantly healing my sore body.

"You are amazing," he says as he pulls me towards him.

I make a noise but am incapable of producing any words and Eric chuckles.

He presses a kiss to my cheek and I feel him climbing off the bed.

I'm not sure how long I lie there or if I have been asleep but when Eric returns I turn to look at him and see he is totally dressed, he is wearing black trousers and a black shirt and black boots. He has a hairbrush in his hand and hair tie and he has a sombre expression on his face.

He holds them up, "it is better if your hair is braided...for when you rise...the earth" he says carefully. I swallow hard and nod, this is it, and I sit up and turn myself so my back is towards him, wordlessly Eric sits and gently brushes and then braids my hair.

"There all done," he says. He stands again and holds out his hand to me. I get up and take it and he leads me to the shower and he washes me carefully, but without actually getting in with me, he is being very methodical and I realise this must be some kind of ritual he is observing, all the while he remains totally silent, I don't say a word either and just watch him, every so often our eyes meet and he sends me an overwhelming burst of love and serenity through the bond, after the shower he quickly dries me and leads me to a closet, hanging up is a beautiful black dress and some fresh underwear also in black, he picks up each item of clothing and almost reverently dresses me. He reaches for a shoe box and opens it showing me a matching pair of shoes.

He wordlessly points to a seat and I sit down, he kneels at my feet and puts the shoes on my feet then running his hands up my legs he reaches my thighs and stops, then he holds his hands' out towards me palm up and I place my hands in his. He smiles at me, and rising gracefully to his feet he pulls me up with him and takes me back to the bedroom.

He sits on the bed and urges me to sit between his legs. He pulls me back against his chest and presses a kiss to my head.

"It is time; it will feel just like when I feed from you...and it will be pleasurable, I will make sure it is...Are you sure about this? You can still say no, you can always say no," he says. He runs his hands up and down my arms and sends reassurance and calm through the bond.

I shake my head, "I want this, make me like you" I whisper.

With that he unclips the choker necklace Pam gave me from my neck and gently places it into a box at the side of him. He kisses my neck and gently massages the artery in my neck with his mouth preparing me as he does so he caresses my arm again. Then he pulls away slightly.

"For the final time Sookie, do you want this?" he asks.

"Yes" I hardly get the word out when I feel his fangs sink into me and I moan he said he would make it feel pleasurable and he has, he starts to drink, slowly almost lazily drawing on my neck this feels so much more intimate than when he normally feeds and I always enjoy that experience, but this, this is on another level, I close my eyes and moan I realise I am getting aroused, he caresses my arms and I feel him getting hard again behind me, we are obviously arousing each other, he stops caressing me for a moment and I feel him reach between us and adjust himself before he resumes stroking me, he is sending positivity and love through the bond and an overwhelming sense of calm and serenity, slowly I feel drowsy and a little light headed, it really is a nice feeling though, not at all scary or unpleasant.

"Hmmm" I moan and I feel him sending more calmness and love through our bond, I feel as though I want to go to sleep and Eric must feel it too as he wraps his arms around me, surrounding me and he gently starts to rock me as he continues to feed from me and I slowly drift away.

Things start to get darker...and darker...blackness...silence...

**FIRST DANCE SONG: At Last by Etta James**


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

I try and open my eyes, the smell is overwhelming, it is a damp earthy smell, and there is tremendous pressure pressing down on me. I hear voices, they are muffled and I start to panic, but then it all comes back to me, I won't suffocate I am in no danger as I am in the ground, in the earth of my home at Bon Temps, I am no longer human, I am now a vampire...and I am so hungry.

I claw at the ground around me and reach out through the bond and search for Eric, almost immediately I find him and I get clear feelings of overwhelming love and relief. I feel movement and the earth moving around me then a hand reaches towards me and grasps my wrist, with one tug I am out the ground, my senses overwhelm me, I am bombarded with sensation, it is night time but I see everything as clearly as if it is the middle of the day, the sounds of little things are magnified and I am feeling besieged by them.

I put my hands over my ears in a vain attempt to shut it out, I haven't felt like this since I was a small child trying to shut out the thoughts of other humans but this isn't the thoughts of humans this is just sounds which humans would never notice, along with the sounds they do but magnified significantly, I can hear the sound of insects rustling through the undergrowth, the sound of nocturnal creatures on the prowl in the woods, and the whispering of the wind in the trees sounds like a roar of a storm rather than a gentle breeze, I hear a car and look over towards to the road I could never hear the cars on the main road before, I can hear everything and I don't like it, along with that I have the increased sense of smell and enhanced sight so I feel out of control and I am panicking, I try and shut down my senses using the only method I have, my shields but it doesn't seem to do anything, I hear movement nearby and I instinctively fall into a crouch and hiss loudly whilst looking around frantically. Then I feel it, amongst the cacophony of sensation bombarding me I feel it deep inside, welling up and slowly consuming me – love, reassurance and calm, it is familiar and I focus on it, it is my bond with Eric, unlike when I first felt it a few moments ago, now it feels deeper, more intense and my overwhelmed mind starts to clear and I focus on the bond using the emotions Eric is sending me to slowly calm down, it is familiar and I look around frantically seeking its source.

"Eric" I growl I am shocked at the sound of my voice and I reach up with my finger and touch my new fangs which are completely down.

"I am right here Sookie, I'm right in front of you now, follow my voice" I do so and there he is, he steps into my line of sight and my heart leaps and the next moment I am in his arms.

"Shit" I say as I realise I just moved for the first time with vampire speed.

I hear a snigger and immediately I pull away from him and am wildly scanning the area, the snigger comes again and I spin on the spot and once again I am crouching and hissing.

"Hush my wife, that is Pam you hear, she finds your disorientation and confusion amusing, she conveniently forgets how she felt when she rose for the first time."

Eric is still sending calm through the bond and he reaches for me again, as he touches me I jump violently, then I almost immediately calm, I put my hand out and stroke Eric's chest I take a deep breath and take in his familiar scent that familiar dry smell which I have long associated with vampires which is much stronger now and which now also has an earthy tinge to it, I realise that is because he too has been buried in the ground all day with me.

"There she is," he says gently. He pulls me close. "Just hold on to me for a moment till you get your bearings my love, it can be very overwhelming when you rise for the first time."

I do as he says and rest my head against him, he strokes my hair gently, and I start to get used to my enhanced senses. I listen and I hear noises, I look and see everything around me, I sense movement and I see Pam who is grinning inanely and Karin who is just staring at me.

"Pam? Karin?" I say and they take a step closer.

"Welcome sister," Karin says and she nods at me.

Pam is looking at me carefully. "How do you feel?" she asks.

"Strange, everything is so loud, so clear and so...smelly," I say and Pam laughs.

"You will get used to it, although walking past public toilets is somewhat of a trial for a while," she says trying to add some levity to the situation.

"Why are you all keeping your distance from me?" I ask as I recall how Eric called me to him and even at this moment there is almost an exclusion zone between me, Pam and Karin.

Karin smiles at me, "Newborns are notoriously unpredictable when they first rise, no one knows quite how they will react to their new increased senses, some can react in quite a volatile manner and also when a newborn first rises they are filled with undiluted sires blood which makes them incredibly strong and powerful, it only lasts a short time but for that time a newborn could overpower the oldest strongest vampires – you have the blood of one of the oldest vampires still walking the earth, so you will be stronger than most newborns, and we saw you were struggling to begin with, and we...value our existence."

It hits me they were both scared of me there for a moment by the way I was reacting.

I smile at her then her expression becomes serious, "We need to establish something before we leave here tonight" she says.

"What?" I ask and look towards Eric.

"Your gift," he says gently and he takes my hand, "We need to know if it has been enhanced by your turning."

"Meaning?" I ask as I had expected some sort of change in my telepathy.

Karin steps closer, "If you can now hear vampires thoughts this will place you in grave danger, it will give you an advantage over others of our kind, and not make you popular should it become common knowledge, you will be safe with us as your family as we will share and benefit from that advantage but other vampires won't be so understanding, they will want to hunt you and kill you, so we need to know what we are dealing with" she explains.

I nod, "Ok, think something," I say and I close my eyes and I drop my shields and listen. I still get three holes, no thoughts.

"Nothing, I still can't hear vampires," I say with more than a little relief. I turn to Eric, "I'm so hungry" I say.

Eric smiles and takes my hand, "then I will teach you to hunt, but first you need to learn to feed safely" he looks at Pam and she turns away quickly.

When Pam returns I see she is leading a young man forward, I dip into his mind and I see he has been heavily glamoured, I discover that I still have my gift, but I can consciously turn it on and off now so if I don't want to hear people I don't, this I like very much as I don't have to concentrate on maintaining shields anymore.

Eric stands me behind the man and shows me where to bite him. He explains how to do it and the preparation involved. I follow his instructions and then place my mouth on the man's neck, I can hear his blood flowing under the surface and the temptation to tear into his neck is almost overpowering.

"Gently" Eric urges and I feel the serenity he is flooding the bond with.

I realise it is so I don't lose it when I feed for the first time and I accept it and let it wash over me, I lick my lips and then I sink my fangs in. I feel Eric's pride and it gives me the confidence to bite harder.

"Good, that is excellent Sookie, that's deep enough, you have no need to bite deeper you have accessed the artery, now slowly suck and draw out the blood, I do as he says and as soon as the blood hits my tongue I feel a craving so great I start to gulp greedily, I don't want to stop, and I grip the man tightly and keep gulping, it tastes amazing like the best thing I have ever tasted in my life, I lose all sense of my surroundings as I continue to feed until I hear Eric's stern voice.

"As your maker, I command you to stop, heal him quickly" and it's like he has physically blocked me from taking any more. I quickly heal the wound and look up blood dripping from my fangs and I remember the man.

"Did...did I kill him?" I stammer.

Eric laughs, "No, you just got a little carried away, which was to be totally expected for your first feed, you were actually very restrained for your first feeding and he will live, and you healed his neck nicely, well done," he says.

Eric turns the man and looks at him, "you were going home and decided to take another route, you saw nobody on your journey" with that the man nods and wanders off.

I wipe my mouth, "That was so nice, I didn't want to stop" I say.

Pam nods, "it is called bloodlust, all newborns have it, it will be almost unbearable for the next few days which is why Eric needs to train you, you will learn to control it but you responded well, Eric had to physically pull me away from my first meal."

"When you said as your maker I command you, I felt I had to do what you said," I say in surprise.

Karin nods, "that is the whole point of a makers order, when your sire commands you to do something you are compelled to obey."

I remember being sceptical about the validity of this claim but now experiencing it for myself I can see it is as powerful as vampires have always made it out to be.

"I won't abuse the makers' order," Eric says to me suddenly, "I promise you I will only use it when you are in danger of killing another or putting yourself or us in jeopardy."

I nod "Thank you" I am starting to feel more myself and I start to relax.

"We will commence your training soon, I will teach you to fight and you will spar with your sisters and myself to gain strength and agility, I will teach you to hunt safely and teach you which humans to feed on and which to leave alone, tonight though is a time for you to get your bearings and a feel for your new life" Eric explains.

I nod, "I feel ...good, I want to learn, can I start my training tonight?" I ask eagerly.

"She is ready Eric," Karin says.

"She is also eager to learn, I feel it through the bond to deny her request would be cruel" Pam adds.

I look at Eric expectantly, he thinks for a moment then nods, "Very well, we will start training tonight. I must say you have adjusted well, I didn't expect you to gain clarity and control of your enhanced senses so soon."

Pam nods in agreement, "It took me a couple of days," she says.

"I believe it is the Fae magic in the earth which has helped her," Karin says.

Eric nods in agreement, "I agree, I too feel rejuvenated since I rose tonight, there is certainly some unexplained power in this earth."

We spend the next few hours productively, I learn how to fight and I astonish Karin with my skills, I feel Eric's pride as I learn quickly and effectively, I learn how to hunt, which includes the art of glamouring humans, he explains how I should not feed on humans who are drug addicts or have certain diseases, he tells me he is going to take me into the city to teach me and show me which humans I should avoid and how to recognise them, but he said this will happen another night and then he explains the different forms of hunting, how in the cities I have to glamour, feed, re-glamour and let the person go only taking enough blood to satisfy my immediate hunger and using my self-control not to take more. Eric told me that in rural settings hunting was more pleasurable as you can fully unleash your predatory instincts and track your prey over a wider area, stalk them and hunt to completion. I realise he means draining them, I had looked a little startled at that until Eric pointed out that I was a predator now, I was no longer a human, and humans were prey, a food source nothing more. I wonder if Eric ever looked at me like that, and I have difficulty reconciling these words with the vampire I love and who I know loves me.

"Did you see me that way?" I ask.

Eric smiles, "No, I sensed your uniqueness as soon as I met you and as a result I never saw you as prey, I never felt it with Pam or Karin either, I watched them and wanted them to join me and become like me, but you, you awakened other desires inside me, ones which had laid dormant for centuries". Eric strokes my hair and I realise he is telling me he was attracted to me right from the beginning.

"I love you" I whisper to him, quite forgetting Pam and Karin are standing there listening and he pulls me close.

I look suddenly towards the woods as I hear a noise, Eric, Pam and Karin also hear it and they listen carefully. Then I feel it the same unsettled feeling I had when Ocella showed up previously.

"Ocella," I say, I look up at Eric, "He's here".

Karin stares at me, "Are you sure? I don't sense him" she says.

Pam shakes her head, "Neither do I."

But Eric nods, "she is correct; my sire is amongst us, he watches but does not approach."

I close my eyes and in the woods, I quickly find him as the unpleasant sensations are vibrating around a familiar vampire hole, "I know exactly where he is" I say and tap my head.

Karin grins, she pulls a silver dagger from her belt and offers it to me, "Hold the handle, it is only the blade that is silver" she says.

I take the knife and slide it carefully into the belt of the black dress I am wearing, and then I slip off my shoes so I am barefoot. I am reminded of when I was a child and ran barefoot through these woods. I quickly shake the thought from my mind I don't need to be distracted by irrelevant things.

"Karin" Eric says warningly.

"I made an oath, I intend to keep it," she says her eyes flashing dangerously.

"I won't prevent you from doing so, but you will not take Sookie with you, she is a newborn" he hisses.

Karin shakes her head and waves her hand at me, "just look at her Eric, she is outstanding, and she wants to do this, also she has the advantage with her newborn strength, you cannot deny her again Eric, you prevented her from killing that old bastard once already."

Pam steps up, "we will all be there Eric, so she will be safe."

Eric shakes his head and looks at me, "You will do exactly as I tell you, I command you to do something you do it immediately" he snaps.

I nod, but the excitement is rising inside me, I can feel Karin's excitement and it is fuelling my own, she wants Ocella dead as much as I do, she stares at me, I feel your hunger for his blood" she says with awe.

I nod, "I hate that fucking vampire," I say.

"Let's go then, show us where he is," Karin says gesturing towards the woods with that I turn and go to lead my family into the wood.

As we leave the confines of the yard I stop suddenly, as I see the Shreef, but unlike before I can see it clearly now and it no longer looks like moving wind it has features, I hold up my hand and stare at it and it stares back at me, I'm scared to say anything in case it vanishes like when Eric spoke to it. Pam, Karin and Eric stare at the Shreef waiting for something, but they keep still and silent at a discreet distance.

Then I hear it, it is like the wind but it is clearly a voice and it's giving me a warning.

"Trap, Stay, Trap" I glance at Eric who is waiting impatiently to continue.

"Did you hear that?" I ask him and he stares at me blankly.

"Hear what?" he replies.

I point but the Shreef is now gone, "The Shreef it spoke to me" I say.

Eric's eyes widen "It spoke to you – you heard it?" he asks incredulously.

I nod, "yes it warned me, it said, trap stay trap, didn't you hear it?"

Karin touches my arm, "Only the Fae can hear elementals."

"But?" I stop and look helplessly at Eric.

"We should go inside, something is clearly happening here which is beyond normal comprehension," Eric says firmly.

Karin looks more than a little pissed at the prospect of not going out there and confronting Ocella.

We head inside and Eric shuts the door, "Now what?" Karin snaps and she throws down her weapon.

I start to pace thinking things through logically, "What if it wasn't Ocella, but someone pretending to be Ocella? That would account for the elemental warning" I pause and look at the vampires who are staring at me.

"I felt my sire," Eric says stubbornly.

I shake my head, "But Karin and Pam didn't, what if they weren't meant to? What if whatever it was out there only meant for you and me to sense it, because, surely as your blood they too would sense their grandsire?" I pause and look at Eric questioningly, "or whatever you want to call him" I add.

Pam and Karin consider this and nod in agreement, "She has a point there" Pam says eventually.

Karin turns to me, "How did you pinpoint Ocella or whatever it was?"

I tap my head, "I listen to minds, when I hear a human mind I hear the thoughts, but vampires are dead, so their thoughts are dead to me also, so where there is a vampire, I sense a void, a vacuum, a blank space, I reached out and searched and found the blank space, and then after feeling the uncomfortable feeling which I felt when Ocella was here previously, I put two and two together."

"But I also sensed him," Eric says again.

I turn to Eric, "I think whatever it was out there was trying to fool us, into believing it was Ocella, and it focussed on me and you, I mean you would know your own sire, and with my gift that would be all the proof needed, what I need to know is what else would not produce living thought patterns, other than vampires?" I ask.

There is a silence and Pam shakes her head and Eric and Karin both shrug.

"Mr Cataliades would be able to tell me" I exclaim.

"How would Desmond know?" Karin asks in confusion.

I glance up at her as I reach for the phone, "Because he was the one who gave me this damn affliction" I snap.

Karin stares at me and then looks at Eric, "It's a long story" Eric says calmly.

I quickly dial the number and wait a moment later I hear my Godfather's voice and I smile, "Mr Cataliades its Sookie" I say as soon as he answers.

"Sookie my child, I take it from the late hour that your rising went well and you now walk with the undead?" he says.

"That's right, listen I have a question for you, you know my gift, well when I hear vampires I sense a gap, like a hole of nothing, so I can always sense when a vampire is near, even though I can't read their thoughts and if there are many I just count the holes to know how many are there" I say.

"Yes I understand, now, what is your question?" he asks.

"Is there any other beings which would produce that hole, that area of nothing to a telepath?" I wait for the answer and the silence is lengthy.

Eventually, Mr Cataliades speaks again, "Any members of the ghoul family would produce the empty space you speak of, as would the Fae and certain species of demon, why do you ask?" he enquires.

"I was just wondering, we were testing my gift tonight to see if it had altered in any way and Eric, Pam and Karin are all still holes, nothing has changed or been improved, and I just wondered that's all" I lie.

"I see, well you have your answer, is there anything else I can do for you?" he asks.

A sudden thought occurs to me, "You say the Fae, but when I was human I couldn't hear the thoughts of the Fae but they didn't appear to be holes either" I say.

"That is because you were part Fae, the essential spark resided inside you, but now you are vampire so there is every chance that the Fae will too appear as a hole to your senses."

"I see well I think that's all I needed to know, thank you Mr Cataliades and I'm sorry to have bothered you so late," I say apologetically.

"No trouble at all child, I am always here to help you," he says.

We say our goodbyes and I turn towards Eric, Pam and Karin who are waiting patiently for me to speak.

"Well?" Eric asks.

"Any members of the ghoul family of Supes, the Fae and certain species of demon look like a hole to telepaths" I say and all three vampires take a step back in surprise.

"Damn fairies!" Eric spits immediately.

I shake my head, "No, Niall assured us he had nothing to do with any of the strange changes" I say.

"But this could be something totally unrelated to the imbalance, this could be related to the fact Sookie who was part Fae has now joined us," Pam says quietly.

"Well Niall wasn't bothered when I told him I had asked Eric to turn me, he was really quite reasonable about it, but to be sure we need to ask him, the Fae can't lie so he will be truthful," I say firmly.

"There are other possibilities, certain demons and members of the Ghoul family," Karin says reasonably.

"But why would they be concerned that Sookie is now a vampire?" Pam asks.

"They wouldn't," Eric says.

"What I want to know is why I got the warning from the Shreef?" I ask.

There is another silence, "Unless the Shreef saw what was happening in the woods, but why would it feel the need to warn me not to go out there?" I ask.

"Elementals are peace loving beings, I told you that from the start, and because they have an affinity with the earth's elements they also have an affinity with similar Fae, you are the great granddaughter of the crown prince of the Sky Fae, sky, air, wind that Shreef felt an affinity to you" Eric says simply, with a shrug.

"But I had never seen it until recently, I didn't even know they existed" I argue.

"Something is going on, and I can't shake the feeling that it is all related to the imbalance," Eric says.

"So this imbalance has something to do with me?" I splutter.

"Niall suggested as much if you remember," Eric says.

Pam and Karin are silently listening to all this and watching us closely.

We argue back and forth for a while throwing out different theories and going round in circles, there is a silence for a few moments and then Karin breaks it.

"Dawn approaches soon we need to get to ground." She says firmly.

Eric glances at the window, "I will fly back to Shreveport with Sookie and we will discuss this more when we rise tonight."

"I still think we need to speak to Niall," I say and both Pam and Karin nod in agreement.

"We will discuss our options tonight," Eric says firmly and he stands pulling me up beside him.

Pam and Karin nod and they stand and both leave, but before they go they both smile at me, "you have done remarkably well for your first night as a vampire" Karin says and Pam murmurs her agreement.

They both leave, and Eric and I head outside, I lock up the house and Eric pulls me into his arms and shoots up into the sky, I curl around him and hold tight and before I know it we have landed in Eric's garden. I realise he flew much faster than he normally does when I am with him.

I peel myself away from him and Eric grabs my hand and leads me into his large comfortable home. I have been here before, but I have never known where Eric rests during the day as I have always slept in an upstairs bedroom. That is a closely guarded secret all vampires have and one which they share with no-one.

Eric turns to me and looks closely at me, "As your maker, I command you to never reveal our daytime resting place to another being, nobody ever" he stops and I nod.

"I won't," I say.

Eric looks closely at me then nods, "this is of utmost importance Sookie, our existence relies upon it, not even Pam or Karin know where I rest, you are the first and only being I have ever shared this with and as your maker I command you never to reveal its existence or location to anyone or anything – not even Pam or Karin, nobody ever."

I nod, "I get it, Eric," I say.

Eric grabs my hand and to my great surprise heads me into the closet under the stairs, well that's different! He puts a light on and then he silently points to the wall, at first I don't see anything then I spot a tiny indentation, Eric presses it and I hear a rumbling noise, Eric points and a slab has moved on the floor at the far end of the closet. Eric switches the light off and leads me to the hole in the ground. I look down and there is a ladder leading downwards, I quickly climb down and Eric follows, once we are down he points the wall and I see a switch, Eric turns it to the left and I hear the same rumbling noise and realise the slab is moving back into place.

"Wow, this is amazing," I say as I take it all in.

Eric takes my hand leads me forward until we reach what appears to be a solid wall, he points out a brick and pulls it, it comes out easily and concealed behind it is a number pad, I watch as Eric keys in a four digit code, 5 7 2 8, the wall moves and Eric quickly replaces the brick and then leads me inside, the wall closes again and I am shocked to find that I am in a comfortable bedroom, I look around there is king size bed and a closet filled with mine and Eric's clothes, and a door I open it and find it leads to a very nice shower room.

"This is unbelievable," I say unable to wrap my head around the complexity of this.

"You can't be too careful Sookie we are at our most vulnerable during the day as you saw for yourself during Rhodes," Eric says.

I nod, that is a time in my life that will live with me forever.

"This is where we rest until we rise at sunset," he says.

"Ok how will we know, I mean how does a vampire know when to rise?" I feel silly asking this and I look down at my feet.

Eric tips my chin up with his finger, "Don't be ashamed to ask questions Sookie, it is how you learn, the answer is simple our bodies know, they sense the sun setting and we simply rise as it sets, as you age you can rise earlier before the sun actually sets, it will start on days that are stormy and overcast and eventually you can control your time of rising and when you get as old as me, you can awaken during the day under dire circumstance, like I did in Rhodes," Eric pauses and gestures to the bed, "shall we?"

I feel suddenly hyper aware of him, this is the first time we have been totally alone all night and desire unfurls in my stomach. I reach for my husband and I send him a rush of everything I am feeling at this moment.

Eric growls and in a moment he has ripped off my clothes, this pushes me over the edge I start tearing too, we are soon a mass of limbs on the bed and Eric takes me roughly I realise just how much he has held back before, even in the moments where he seemed to lose control previously are nothing compared to the raw passion and lust being unleashed from him, I take everything he gives and I meet him with my own frenzied movements, he is growling and snarling and I hear myself making similar noises, it seems to go on forever until eventually I feel my release building and I sink my fangs into Eric's neck and drink from him, he snarls and bites me and we both climax simultaneously, I feel Eric still and empty himself into me and I feel my insides quivering and gripping him tightly, my orgasm seems to go on forever and is far more intense than anything I have experienced before. Eventually, Eric gently pulls out of me and collapses on the bed beside me.

"Wow" I mutter and Eric laughs.

"Wow indeed, that was without a shadow of a doubt the best sex I have ever, ever had," he says adamantly, and he rolls towards me and presses a kiss to my lips. "You were amazing my beautiful wife, thank you."

I turn and wrap my arm around him, "That was the most intense experience of my life" I say to him.

"We are so good together, I knew it would be good, as it was always near perfection with you with you when you were human, but that was...insane," he says with a hint of awe in his voice.

"Right back at you," I say.

Eric pulls me close, "Dawn fast approaches," he says.

I look at him "Already?" I ask.

He smiles, "We were having sex for nearly 3 hours, a personal record for me," he says with amusement, I stare at him.

"You're kidding?" I say.

"I never joke about sex," he says seriously.

I burst out laughing and Eric pulls me closer. Then I feel it, I start to feel almost light headed as if I have had too much to drink.

"The dawn approaches, don't be afraid, it will be just like falling asleep so close your eyes and let it take you," he says, I realise dawn must be very close as Eric's voice has gotten slower and has a slight slur to it now.

I try to reply but it is a huge effort, "Ok" Is all I can manage before I close my eyes.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

I open my eyes and I am momentarily disorientated, I stop and realise where I am. I sit up and look straight into Eric's face as he is waiting for me to rise, he is lounging totally and unashamedly naked in a chair at the side of the bed, I can't help myself and my eyes roam greedily over his magnificent body.

He smiles smugly and shifts slightly so I get a better view of all of him, "Good Evening my love" he says calmly and then he leans forward and offers me a mug.

"What's this?" I ask him, flashing a quick glance at the mug before resuming my ogling.

"Human blood...from a willing donor," he says.

As soon as he says this, my hunger rises and I eagerly take the mug and drink down the blood, then he reaches for what looks like a flask and refills it, I drink it down and he repeats the procedure twice more.

"Enough?" he asks eventually.

I nod, "Mmm thank you," I say.

Eric looks at me seriously, "Do not get used to this treatment, you would be hunting for your food under normal circumstances and I will not be spoiling you like this again as you need to learn to hunt for yourself, I do you no kindness by spoon feeding you, however, we have a visitor coming tonight and you needed to be well fed before he arrives to avoid any...mishap."

"Oh? Who is coming?" I ask.

"Niall," Eric says shortly, I get from the tone of his voice that he isn't pleased about the prospect of seeing my great grandfather.

"But he said his masking abilities would be useless with me being a newborn," I say nervously.

Eric smiles at me, "I personally guaranteed his safety, hence me feeding you like this to alleviate your need to feed."

I stretch and the sheet falls away from me, Eric's fangs descend and in a moment he is on the bed on top of me and inside me.

"I love you so much Eric," I say when we have both come back to our senses.

"I love you too and that love is a powerful thing" he replies as he carefully withdraws from me. He stands and holds out his hand, "Come, we need to shower and dress."

I grasp his hand and he leads me into the small shower room. After three more orgasms in the shower, we eventually dress and leave our resting place. Eric demonstrates how to get out and I watch closely. He orders me once more never to reveal our resting place as we leave its confines.

As soon as we are in the main house Eric goes to the fridge and produces two bottles of Trueblood, he smiles knowingly at me as he prepares them and then hands me one of them.

I take a gulp and nearly spit it out "hell that is vile!" I exclaim, "It like sucking on an iron bar, the taste is so artificially metallic," I thrust the bottle back at him and I see he is laughing loudly.

"That is why I will teach you to hunt successfully, vampires cannot exist on Trueblood alone, no matter what the humans are told, its flavour is not pleasing and for a newborn such as yourself it is not nutritious enough to sustain you for long, but for vampires choosing to mainstream its consumption is mandatory, but there is the more serious point that if there is no other choice available, it _will_ keep you from starving, so you need to learn to tolerate it, now drink it."

I hesitate and giving him an evil look I close my eyes and holding my nose I chug back the synthetic blood, I shiver when I have finished and slam the bottle down so hard it shatters.

Eric is grinning at my reaction "Well done" he says as he leans into a cupboard and pulls out a hand held vacuum cleaner, and then he quickly clears the broken glass. I watch him and smile at the very domesticated sight.

When he has finished he turns his attention to me once more, "the next time you drink it, it won't be so bad, and each time you drink it, the experience improves slightly, so, you will drink a bottle of Trueblood each evening when you rise until you reach the point where you can tolerate it without any reaction, do you understand?" he looks at me questioningly.

I nod "OK" I agree, I know this is for my own good and I can't be stubborn about this because my survival depends on it.

Eric seems satisfied with my response, "Good" he says briskly.

"I would never have fed you that stuff had I known," I say, thinking of all the times I had given Eric the bottled blood when he came to visit.

"Don't concern yourself", he looks at the small clock on the wall, "we need to go we are meeting Niall at your home in Bon Temps, Pam and Karin will also meet us there," and with that he opens the front door and leads me to the garage.

"Are we taking the Corvette?" I ask.

Eric turns to me and smiles, "No my love, tonight we will be travelling in your car" I stare at him in shock.

"Really? You want to go in my old heap?" I ask incredulously.

Eric snorts, "Perhaps you are right lover, maybe this will be more appropriate transportation", he opens the garage door with exaggerated swagger and I stare open mouthed at the new car parked neatly beside the Corvette, I am looking at a brand new sleek Aston Martin DB11.

"Eric that's an Aston Martin...a new Aston Martin," I say stupidly, pointing at it.

Eric nods and wraps his arm around me, "it is and it's yours, my love."

I move away from him and walk towards it and reverently run my fingers over it, "it's beautiful" I whisper to myself as I admire it.

Eric walks up beside me once more and wrapping one arm around me he dangles a set of keys in front of me. "Keyless ignition is standard on DB11's but I thought you would prefer a key, I know I do, it took some persuasion but I got what I wanted in the end," he says, he is watching me and the amusement is clear on his face, "It is my wedding gift to you, I wanted you to have something better than what you had before."

I look up at him, "Eric anything would have been an improvement on what I had before" I say with sarcasm dripping from my words.

He throws his head back and laughs loudly, "that is indeed true," he pulls himself together and gestures to the car, "Shall we?"

I don't need telling twice and I jump into the driver's seat as Eric climbs in beside me I turn to him and fling my arms around him and kiss him violently, "Thank you so much" I whisper in his ear.

Eric smiles, "you are more than welcome my love, now shall we go?" He gestures out the window to the yard outside the garage. I am practically drooling as we move out of the garage. As we do so Eric leans towards me and points to a small box.

"If you press that button the garage will close," he explains and he demonstrates, I glance behind me and see the garage door closing.

"That is so neat!" I say.

He laughs, "When you come back and want the garage to open you simply press it again."

We are driving along the familiar road to Bon Temps and I am enjoying myself immensely, until I glance down and see that I am travelling at a speed I didn't know was possible.

"Shit!" I exclaim and ease off immediately.

Eric laughs again, "You are fine, your reflexes have improved significantly since you became a vampire, you are perfectly safe," he says.

"I don't want to get a ticket" I mutter.

He laughs even louder, "Sookie, no vampire who is stopped by police _ever_ get a ticket" he looks at me meaningfully and I realise what he is getting at.

"Oh, you mean you glamour them" I am shocked but it does explain a lot.

We reach my old house and I pull into the familiar yard, I climb out of the car and I quickly glance at the ground I arose from last night. Waiting on the steps are Pam and Karin they both stand to greet us.

"About time" Pam grumbles.

I go to say something to her when I hear the familiar popping noise, my head snaps round towards it, "Niall?" I call questioningly.

The familiar figure of my great grandfather appears out of the woods, and to my surprise, he is accompanied by Mr Cataliades and someone else, someone I have never seen before.

I step towards them but I can't move because Eric is holding me with a grip of iron.

Niall approaches cautiously and stops a good distance from me, he is looking at me carefully.

"Sookie, how are you?" he asks.

"I'm fine, Eric will you let me go, I'm not going to eat him!" I grumble.

"I do not wish to take that risk," Eric replies but he moves with me slightly closer to Niall. I notice Pam and Karin are flanking us and it occurs to me that they are here to help Eric control me should I go nuts and try and drain Niall.

I look at the three men in front of me, "Mr Cataliades how are you?" I ask politely.

He beams at me, "I am very well my dear as it seems are you, vampirism suits you."

I grin at him, "Wanna see my fangs?" I ask cheekily.

Niall looks appalled but Mr Cataliades laughs loudly, "I would love to see the full effect," he says jovially.

My grin gets wider and I let my fangs descend, a moment later I retract them again.

"Very impressive my dear, oh forgive me, let me introduce you to my friend Darren, he is an Empath Demon," Mr Cataliades says as he seems to remember the guy at his side.

We all look at the demon and he bows at us, "It is a great honour to meet the fabled one" he says reverently.

"Who?" I ask.

Darren stares at me, "Why you of course" he says.

"Me!" I squeak loudly.

The Demon nods, "it is unheard of, a Fae becoming a vampire, the species are so highly incompatible and yet you appear to manage both characteristics well."

"I'm not full Fae, and never was, I've only got a tiny bit of Fae in me, my grandfather wasn't even full Fae he was a Halfling, so my trace is negligible" I argue, dismissing his words.

"I disagree, something quite unique has happened to you since you became a vampire, it appears to have enhanced your essential spark, I sense you are significantly more Fae now than you were when you were human," he says.

Everyone stares openly in shock at me and I have no idea what to say about that.

Karin seems to recover first, "Can we get back the reason why we are here?" she says irritably, she turns to my great grandfather, "We need to know if you or any of your kin were responsible for what happened last night."

"What happened last night?" Niall asks looking at each of us in turn.

Eric quickly outlines the gist of what happened and Niall listens carefully.

"So, that was the real reason for your call last night," Mr Cataliades says knowingly after Eric has finished explaining.

I nod, "It is, I didn't want to say anything at the time until we had worked things out a bit more."

Niall looks at each one of us in turn, "I assure you I had nothing to do with the events of last night, I will make enquiries in the Faery and if any of my people have been playing such tricks you have my word that they will be dealt with" I listen to him and he sounds worried.

"Do you think this has something to do with the shift in the balance?" I ask.

Niall shrugs, "I have no idea, it could be, but it could easily be something else entirely."

I glance at the Empath Demon, "Why exactly are you here?" I ask.

The demon bows again, "Forgive me, I have information which I believe is beneficial as you search for the answers you seek, Desmond contacted me after your call to him last night and asked me to undertake some research," he reaches into his pocket and pulls out something that resembles a scroll, he leans towards me and offers it to me. I take it with a word of thanks.

"What is that?" Eric asks, looking at it suspiciously.

I open it and quickly scan it, but before I can answer Eric, Darren replies "It's a list of the different species of Demon who appear as hole in the mind of a Telepath, it is a reasonably short list there are over a 1,000 different species of demon, but there are only eight whose thoughts are negligible to the telepath and appear as an area of nothingness".

As he is talking, I silently open my mind up and I am shocked to hear the thoughts of Mr Cataliades and the Empath Demon, I had never managed to hear demons before but now I am listening their thoughts are coming through to me as clear as a bell, I quickly establish that they are both totally benign as I expected. But something feels slightly odd about Darren's thoughts, I dismiss it and then I focus on Niall and at first there is nothing but slowly I start to make out small snippets and it is then I realise he is shielding his mind, he is stopping me from listening in, it is only years of training that allow me to not react to this and I quickly slam in place my own shields, as if I can read them there is every chance they can read me. I check their reactions to what I have just done but there isn't any.

I turn to Niall "You had nothing to worry about Niall, I can't smell you at all," Niall frowns at me.

"Really?" he says incredulously.

"Nope, not a sniff of fairy anywhere," I say.

Niall looks at Eric, "She has great control for a vampire so new."

Eric nods, "I'm exceedingly proud of her, she has made great progress in such a short time, I was afraid that as a newborn she would detect your Fae scent even with your cloaking abilities, but she has astounded me this evening, so if you are happy for me to do so, I will release my hold on her."

Niall takes a sharp breath in and but nods once. I see him stiffen as soon as Eric lets go of me. I grin at Eric and then turn to face Niall.

"See, I'm fine there will be no fairy draining tonight!"

I hear Pam snort with laughter and quickly hide it with a cough, and there is even a hint of amusement on Karin's face.

Niall ignores my sarcasm and addresses Eric once more, "thank you for this new information, I will make enquiries and get back to you with the findings" As Niall turns to leave I get a sudden thought.

"Niall wait!" I call.

He turns and looks at me expectantly.

"The Shreef, it warned me, why?" I ask carefully.

Niall shakes his head, "It is difficult to say, my best guess is it has lived within this area for some time and felt some sort of kinship towards you, Elemental spirits do have more of an affinity with the Fae rather than the other members of the ghoul family to which they belong. You are of the Sky Fae so it felt a natural affinity with you as an air elemental, it has clearly witnessed whatever it was in the woods and when you went to confront it, it knew you had been deceived and showed itself to warn you, this is also proof of your increased Fae abilities, although I am surprised they have increased sufficiently to hear elementals, you would never have heard a Shreef speak under normal circumstances, even vampires cannot hear the voice of an elemental spirit, unless of course your enhanced vampire hearing along with your enhanced Fae essence gave you this advantage," Niall stops speaking and after looking hard at me for a moment he glances briefly at Eric and then steps closer to me.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"You guarantee my safety, vampire?" Niall says to Eric ignoring my question completely.

"As long as you don't reveal your scent you will not be harmed, if you do, then none of us will be able to control our instincts," Eric warns him grimly.

"I will remain masked, but you believe she will not harm me?" Niall pushes.

"You can see her control for yourself", Eric snaps impatiently.

Niall steps even closer so he is within touching distance, "Give me your hand Sookie" he says.

Eric's hand twitches as I reach out and place my hand in Niall's.

"It feels so cold now," Niall says sadly.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

Niall once again ignores my question and closes his eyes, after a moment they fly open and they are round and he has a look of complete shock on his face.

"This cannot be!?" he gasps.

"What?" Eric and I say at the same time.

"Her essential spark has not only increased, it has tripled in strength, when she was human it was already far stronger than her tenuous link to her Fae lineage could account for, but now...she has the spark of a full blooded Fae, this is ...unheard of."

"What does this mean?" Eric asks.

Niall looks up at him, "This means she could start to display Sky Fae abilities, she is essentially a full Fae as well as a Vampire."

"Such as?" Eric pushes.

"Mimicking others, control of the weather and the ability to fly are the main ones," Niall says.

I remember the story of how Fintan made himself look like my grandfather and posed in family portraits with my grandmother. But controlling the weather and flying, I turn to face Eric. If I could fly it would be wonderful, I could fly with Eric.

"I could fly with you" I whisper.

Eric looks shocked at these revelations, "Her telepathy – this gift remains unchanged?" he asks.

I shake my head, "I still can't hear vampires as we established last night but I do have one improvement, I also discovered last night that I don't have to shield anymore, I don't hear things unless I want to, I can turn it on and off now, instead of having to work at not listening" I say, but I don't mention I can now hear the demons clearly or my grandfather, albeit in snippets.

Mr Cataliades steps forward at this point and he looks at me closely, "I believe you will be able to hear clearly those who were unclear before" he says.

"You mean Weres and Shifters?" I ask.

Mr Cataliades nods, "but other than that I don't foresee any further enhancement, those who were silent before will remain silent now."

I ponder that for a moment but I am still not about to announce the fact that I can now hear demons and sort of hear fairies.

"It has been an evening of revelations," Eric says.

"You can say that again!" I mutter.

"You rose from the Fae soil here?" Niall asks suddenly.

"Yes, I did" I glance at Eric, "Why do you think that has something to do with the enhanced fairyness?" I ask Niall.

He looks unimpressed by my description of the essential spark but he nods his head, "It would explain it, but this kind of enhancement would not be caused by the soil alone".

"To rise from the earth holds deep meaning for vampires, and it has been long since established that those who rise traditionally make stronger more successful vampires than those who choose one of the more modern methods," Karin says suddenly and I see Eric nodding in agreement.

"I too felt the effects of the enchanted earth, when I was buried with Sookie, when I rose I felt stronger and fitter," Eric says.

"Interesting" Niall says.

Niall and Eric talk for a few minutes longer and then eventually Niall, Mr Cataliades and Darren the Empath Demon take their leave and disappear into the woods and after a moment I hear a loud pop, I listen carefully to make sure they have completely gone and then turn to Eric.

"They're gone, Mr Cataliades was wrong, I could hear his thoughts and that Empath Demon I couldn't hear Mr Cataliades before and I also got bits from Niall but it was as if he was preventing me from hearing him, I only got snippets from him" I say.

"That could have been an effect from the cloaking spell he used to mask his scent," Karin says.

"Oh, I never thought of that," I say, I turn to Eric, "Do I smell more fairy?" I ask.

Eric shakes his head, "No, you have the scent of a vampire, but tonight has been very enlightening and interesting to say the least. But I am incredibly proud of you. Your self-control was incredible."

Both Pam and Karin nod and mutter their agreement.

"Thanks," I say a little embarrassed by the fuss.

As we are driving back to Shreveport a sudden thought hits me, "Eric I've thought of something" I say.

Eric turns to face me, "What is it my love?" he asks gently.

"Do you remember when Niall came to see us before the wedding he said something which has made me think, especially now that I am a vampire" I say carefully.

"What are you referring to?" he asks the confusion clear in his voice.

"That night he came when he started talking about the end of the world, he said something and I've not been able to get it out of my mind since, do you remember? He said '..._whatever or whoever is behind this has a plan, the first part of the plan is eliminate humans which is why the human birth rate is waning and miscarriages and stillbirths are on the increase, but Supernaturals are a different matter so the idea appears to be, increase their number and let the strongest survive, give them a fighting chance as it were to prove themselves worthy of survival_' do you remember that?" I take my eyes off the road and quickly glance at my husband who is staring at me intently.

"I remember, what of it?"

"What if it's worse than we think, what if whatever or whoever is causing this, wants to put an end to Supes as well?" I say.

"But..." Eric begins but I interrupt him.

"No hear me out, think about it, human birth rate decreases – what is our food source Eric? At the same time Vampires are increasing in number more predators, less prey...you do the maths!" the silence spreads out between us.

"'_Prove themselves worthy of survival_'" Eric murmurs to himself more than to me. "This is an interesting thought and one which I had not considered, Weres are increasing and so are Fae, so a food source will be available to us as long as we choose to diversify, those who evolve will survive those who don't will ultimately perish, leaving only the strongest vampires left to rule."

I glance once more at him and I can almost see the cogs working in his mind as he tries to make sense of what I have just said.

He turns to look at me, "If you look at it that way it would be reasonable to assume that the being behind these changes is a Vampire wanting to cleanse the race of inferior vampires and creating a super race of superior vampires who feed on beings other than humans".

"It sounds fantastical when you say it out loud, who would be so powerful to be able to implement something like that?" I ask.

Eric shakes his head, "Nobody, the only vampire who would come close is the Ancient Pythoness and she just wouldn't even consider such a notion."

We ride the rest of the way in silence, when we arrive in Shreveport Pam and Karin are waiting as we pull into the Fangtasia car park and Eric shares with them what I said, Pam stares at him as though he is crazy.

"There is no vampire in existence who would be powerful enough to pull off something like that" she scoffs.

Eric nods, "I don't disagree, but Sookie has made a valid point, even if the theory behind it, that we are trying to work out sounds totally absurd, if things continue the way they are doing, more vampires and fewer humans is going to be a problem for all of us".

After a moment Eric turns to me, "I need to go into Fangtasia for a short while, Pam will accompany you home."

"Can't I come with you?" I ask.

Eric considers my request and then shakes his head, "No, you are a newborn, it wouldn't be wise, all those humans, it would be too difficult for you," he pulls me close and presses a kiss to my head. "I won't be long," he says.

I nod although I'm not happy about it and I reluctantly climb into my car and head home.

When we arrive back home Pam and I head inside in silence.

"What is an Empath demon and what do they do?" I ask suddenly.

Pam laughs, "They read people's auras, they know exactly how you are feeling by the aura you are projecting, they know if you are lying or if you are trying to con someone, they are handy to have around, in fact, a double act with your telepathy would be an unbeatable combo. Older Empaths also have extra powers, some can contact the dead if the live person has a strong enough emotional attachment to the dead person, they claim they can summon the spirit of the dead person back, I've never seen it done, but I have heard stories that it that it has been".

"Interesting, why do you think he was here tonight, I didn't buy that story that he was just desperate to meet me and the 'I did some research' crap," I say.

Pam laughs, "It was a bit thin, I didn't believe it either, I'm sure we will discover at some point what his purpose was, and he must be sincere as Desmond trusted him," she says.

She has hardly gotten the words out her mouth when there is a knock at the door, we look at each other and Pam is immediately on alert. I close my eyes and listen and the thoughts I get surprise me.

"Well, talk of the devil...or demon, in this case, it's Darren the Empath Demon."

Pam's eyebrows rise at this information and she moves quickly to the door.

I open it and there stands Darren. "Hello, what can I do for you?" I ask politely.

"Mrs Northman I am so sorry to bother you but...now this is going to sound crazy, but since we met this evening, I have been plagued by someone who is no longer with us, and who is desperate to speak with you, they felt your presence and came to me and they want to come through and speak with you," he stops and I am just left staring at him.

I am surprised and intrigued but a more pressing question needs to be answered first. "How did you know where I lived? How did you know to come here?" I ask sharply, I'm not happy that a demon who we know nothing about now knows where we live.

He holds up his hands "I mean you no harm, I told Desmond about the spirit who was contacting me and he made the decision to give me this address, he said to say, if the Northman disapproves tell him to come to me."

I glance at Pam who shrugs, I also notice she is on the phone and I'm fairly sure she is contacting Eric.

"Ok come in," I quickly make the decision to let him in.

He looks relieved and steps inside. "You have a lovely home," he says as he looks around.

"Thank you, who is it that is trying to talk to me?" ask, thinking if he says Bill Compton I am going to scream!

The demon pulls out a notepad, "She was quite insistent, and gave me some information to validate my claims".

She? I pick up on that one word and hope blossoms inside me.

Darren looks at his notepad, "Erm...the lady in question is a Mrs Adele Stackhouse she informed me that she is your grandmother and she was your legal guardian, she took you and your brother Jason in when you were small children when your parents died, they died when their car went off of a bridge during a flood. She said she has been watching over you and she was sorry that, and I quote, 'that William Compton turned out to be such a jerk', she was sorry she encouraged your relationship and that she was angry that he managed to pull the wool over her eyes". He stops and looks at me.

"That sounds like Gran" I whisper.

"Ok, we need to sit down, and I need to touch you so we can summon enough energy to bring her forward," he says nervously.

I glance at Pam who immediately comes to my side. "What does this touching involve?" she hisses menacingly.

"Erm...j j just h holding her hand" he stammers, clearly terrified.

Pam nods "I will witness this, so I can inform Eric that nothing untoward happened," she says and sits down beside me. Darren holds out his hands and I place mine in them.

"Ooh the energy is really strong, I was afraid it wouldn't work with you being a vampire...you know dead," he says and he turns I follow his gaze and I see a shimmering I watch as the faint outline of my grandmother appears.

"Gran" I whisper.

"Hello Sookie, my sweet girl," the figure says.

I can't help it blood tinged tears start to roll down my cheeks, "Gran" I say again.

"I know this must be very overwhelming for you, first of all, I am so happy for you, I saw you marry your Vampire, I was there even though you couldn't see me, I also watched over you when he turned you, he was so careful with you, he loves you and he is honourable, but my reason for contacting you is you are in danger, his Sire is making his way here he wants to kill you."

"Ocella is coming?" I ask.

I see the figure nod, "Yes, he is beside himself, he believes your Viking has made himself weak by marrying you in a human ceremony and I believe he is quite insane, he now knows of your Fae heritage and he believes it is his duty to rescue his progeny from you, as he thinks you have bewitched him in some way, also I need to warn you that..." suddenly in mid-sentence she fades and is gone.

"Gran? Where did she go, bring her back" I demand.

Darren shakes his head, "You moved and let go of my hand the link was broken it was only for a second but it was enough" he says apologetically.

"What is going on here?" I turn and see Eric in the doorway. I leap to my feet and run to him.

"Eric, Ocella is coming he wants to kill me" I blurt out.

Eric looks from the demon to Pam and then to me, "Explain" he says curtly.

I quickly go through everything that has happened here and he listens carefully, I tell him about Gran's warning and how she was going to say something else but the link got broken and she vanished.

Eric looks at Pam questioningly, "I have no reason to disbelieve the evidence I saw, and Sookie seemed satisfied that the apparition was the spirit of her grandmother, I have no way of confirming that as I never met the woman when she lived" Pam says.

Eric turns to the demon, "If this is some sort of trick I will track you down" he hisses.

Darren shakes his head frantically, "M M Mr N N Northman sir, I am genuine, everything was done the best intentions, I don't trick anyone" he stammers.

"Then you have nothing to worry about" Eric growls.

He turns to me and wraps his arm around me. I feel him pushing love and comfort through the bond and I press myself into his side.

"I'll be going then, Mr Cataliades did say you were to contact him if you weren't happy about me coming here today, he said he would vouch for me take the blame for giving me your address."

Eric says nothing but glares at the demon, who visibly quakes.

"Goodbye, Mrs Northman," the demon says.

"Goodbye" I reply and with that, he is gone.

Eric turns to me, "You believe this?" he asks.

I nod my head firmly, "I do."

Eric nods in acceptance and then pulls out his phone, he dials a number and waits, "Karin, we have had word that Ocella is coming and his mission is to kill my wife, you have my blessing to keep your oath". With that, he simply hangs up and pushes his phone in his pocket.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

Eric, Pam and I go over and over what my Gran said, I am so angry at myself for breaking the link.

"Don't trouble yourself Sookie, you weren't to know that could happen, the demon should have told you not to break the link" Pam says.

I stare at her, "yes he should have", so why didn't he?

I think back to that moment, replaying it over and over in my mind, thank god for total recall, a vampire skill which I am utilising fully at this moment, as I replay those moments again it hits me.

"I didn't move...he did," I exclaim, and I reach for Eric's hand to demonstrate.

"He was holding my hand like this and just before Gran vanished he did this," I shift my hand slightly and it is enough to break the contact between my palm and Eric's. "He obviously thought I was so engrossed in what Gran was saying I wouldn't notice it was him," I start to pace manically "But why? Why did he do that?" I ask.

"He was hiding something," Pam states.

I stare at her "Durr!" I say rudely, "I got that much, the question is what?"

Eric picks up the phone and we watch him, "Desmond, that Empath demon, do you vouch for his integrity?"

I can hear Mr Cataliades speak from where I am standing, way to go, super vamp hearing!

"What are you talking about?" is the confused response, Eric flashes a look at me and I step forward gesturing for the phone. Eric hands it to me.

"Mr Cataliades, its Sookie here, Darren came to our home tonight and I wasn't happy about it and he said you gave him our address and that you would vouch for him and take the blame if Eric wasn't happy about him coming here" I say.

"Aah I see now, yes I do, he has been in my employ for a good many years, he informed me that he had received notification from the other side, his exact words were_ 'since I laid eyes on the Fairy Vampire I've been pestered by her human relation who has passed over'_, he explained who the spirit was and I gave him your address, as I had no doubt that you would want to make contact with Adele again."

"I did, which is why I'm confused as to why he deliberately broke the link when she was trying to give me a warning!" I spit harshly.

There is a silence for a moment, "he broke the link?" Mr Cataliades says.

"Yes and he blamed me for it, he said I let go of his hand, but I didn't, I went through everything afterwards and I remember it all – he moved, not me" I say.

"To break the link you must lose the palm to palm contact" Mr Cataliades says.

"That is what he did, he shifted his hand, I felt him do it, it was only for a second but he did it."

"I really don't understand why he would do that, he is nearly 600 years old, and he has been able to channel for over 300 years, I apologise Sookie, I will certainly look into this for you" Mr Cataliades says apologetically.

"I'm not worried about that, what I am worried about is the fact he now knows where we live" I hiss.

"I understand and do not concern yourself, I will rectify that – I will wipe his memory of the details," Mr Cataliades says firmly.

"Thank you" I am very relieved and hand Eric his phone back.

"Desmond" Eric says.

"I do sincerely apologise Eric I will give this my complete attention" I hear him say.

"I trust you do" Eric says coldly and with that he hangs up and throws his phone down.

I look at him "He let us hear the warning about Ocella but when Gran said 'I also need to warn you about' whatever it was, that says to me that it was something different, something unrelated to Ocella."

Eric nods thoughtfully, "Possibly, or it could have been something else regarding Ocella."

"No I don't think so, why would he let us hear the warning that he was coming to kill Sookie but not something else, I mean what could be worse than your Sire wanting to kill your progeny?!" Pam says.

I look at her thoughtfully, "Something much bigger than any of us...something like the imbalance of the Supe and human population".

I hear movement and I look up, to see Karin has arrived and she is seriously packing, she has numerous swords and daggers attached to her and she is carrying two huge duffel bags, which I have no doubt contains more weaponry. Eric takes the bags from her and he looks inside, I see his eyes light up like a Christmas tree and know for fact there must be swords of some description in there.

I look inside and I am shocked at the number of swords, knives, daggers, axes and other lethal looking items.

"Wow" I gasp.

Karin smiles at me, "You and I are going to train," she states as if she has just asked me to go for a walk.

I glance at Eric and he smiles, "It is wise you do so my love, you need to be prepared for when my Sire arrives, we will go to the training room there will be more room there," he pauses and looks at Karin, "train her well" he says and Karin looks insulted by the comment.

"Do you doubt me?" she snaps.

"Not at all my child" he soothes.

I meekly follow Karin out of the living room into the hallway and she walks towards a door which I have seen before but never gone through, she turns the handle and I hear a light switch click. I gasp as I take in the expanse of the large empty room, it looks vaguely like a gymnasium but there is no equipment, it is simply an empty room.

Karin turns and she throws me a sword and a dagger.

"We will work on the moves you started on last night," she says and I nod.

Like a blur, Karin comes at me but I match her blow for blow but I am completely on the defensive, I can't get around her to attack, then I feel Eric in my mind, he is guiding me and sending me positivity when I do something right. I learn quickly and suddenly I have the upper hand it is only momentarily but I get a couple of blows in before Karin moves so swiftly I am on my back on the floor with the sword at my throat.

"Well done, that was quite impressive, but now explain to me how you lost the advantage and ended up as you did?" Karin says as she holds out her hand to me help me up.

"Erm..." I mumble, I quickly go through my movements and the sparring in my mind and I realise I was surprised I had the upper hand and I panicked.

"I was surprised I got some hits in and I lost focus," I say.

Karin nods, "Exactly, I saw the look on your face, the shock that you had managed to better me by getting a couple of blows in, and that shock made you crumble, you have to believe in your abilities Sookie, you are an excellent fighter, I have to say, I never seen such instincts before, you are a natural fighter, but you have to believe you can win, up here" she taps her temple.

"If you go into a fight believing the person you are fighting is stronger and will beat you, then you will lose and probably die, you have to totally believe you are better than your opponent".

I immediately get that "Let's try again" I say picking up my sword.

Karin smiles and she comes at me, this time I watch her move and study her all the while telling myself I can beat her, and slowly I gain the upper hand again, this time I don't react I simply focus on the job in hand telling myself I can do this, I move quickly and before I realise what I have done, I have Karin on the floor the sword at her throat, she stares at me in shock.

"Well then!" she says and she smirks at me and gives me a little nod, acknowledging my achievement.

Eric roars with laughter, and I turn to see him walking towards us clapping his hands "you teach her _too _well my child," he says as he offers his hand to Karin.

Karin manages another small grin as she accepts Eric's outstretched hand and pulls herself up and then she looks carefully at me.

"That is the first time in nearly 400 years I have been bettered in a fight, and I am thankful we were just pretending".

"When was the last time?" I ask.

Karin's face darkens and I remember Pam's tale of what happened when Ocella came to visit after Karin rose for the first time and I quickly do the maths and wonder if that was the occasion she is referring to.

"It was shortly after I was turned, I was ambushed...by Ocella," she says curtly confirming my assumption and she glances at Eric who has gone very quiet.

She looks back at me her face expressionless, "Which is why I teach you everything I know, as I do not wish for him to better you, when he arrives" she picks up a sword and throws it to me, "We will continue" she says.

Eric stands and watches us sparring, I sense Pam has joined us as well and after a couple of hours Eric calls an end to the proceedings.

"Enough, dawn approaches, we need to get to ground soon," he says. He turns to Pam and Karin, "You are both welcome to stay here for the day" he says, I am surprised when they both agree without question. Then I realise, if Ocella is coming he wants us all together, and Pam and Karin want to be with their Sire.

"Eric, can you sense how far away Ocella is?" Karin asks suddenly.

Eric stills and closes his eyes when he opens them he looks grim, "He is close, he is in the United States, I estimate he is roughly 1500 miles north west of Shreveport, but he is on the move, he is gradually getting closer".

I listen with interest and realise that there is much I am still to learn about the vampire blood bond.

Pam pulls out a map to see roughly where he is. "Yellowstone Park is roughly that distance and in that area," she says pointing at the map.

Eric laughs humourlessly, "He has always liked the national parks, plenty of lost humans roaming around to pick off and plenty of places to hide, and when the bodies are found it is assumed it was wild animals that have caused the deaths, and if that is his location he will be here very soon."

I remember that Ocella can fly like Eric, and he is older so I guess he can fly faster and further than Eric.

"He can fly," I say quietly as I remember that night when he hovered outside my bedroom when he arrived with Alexei.

Eric turns to me, "he can, and he flies further distances than I can without pausing for rest and he can fly much faster than I can".

"How far can you fly in one go?" I ask.

Eric shrugs, "the furthest I flew in one journey was nearly 950 miles, but that was a number of years ago, I would estimate that I could probably fly for around 5000 miles now without pause," he says.

"So the distance from Yellowstone to here will be nothing for Ocella?" I say.

Eric nods, "He is moving now, but not quickly he will have to go to ground before dawn I would estimate he will set out tomorrow, what he will do then is anyone's guess, but knowing Ocella as I do, I believe he will set out at sunset tomorrow, he can fly as fast if not faster than any jet so my best estimation would be it will take him around 8 hours to get here, we have the advantage that the sun sets an hour later where he is, so it will be around 7 pm before he can set out, sunrise here is around 7 am our time and we are one hour ahead which gives us a further advantage as dawn arrives here sooner, my best estimation he will arrive here around 4 am, he could go to ground when he arrives but Ocella has much hubris, so I believe he will come straight to us to confront us, he will be fatigued from the flight but he will still be formidable. He will also believe that three hours is plenty to complete what he has to do before he goes to ground for the day".

We are all silent, as we process this, Eric breaks the silence, "When we rise tonight I will check the bond once more to see where Ocella is to discover if our estimations and assumptions are correct, but for now we need to go to ground".

He grasps my hand I watch as Pam and Karin head for the windowless guest room, I watch as Pam enters a code and the heavy door slides open, they go inside and the door closes behind them. Once they are safely locked inside Eric takes me towards our resting place.

"Do not worry" he says suddenly.

I look at him, "It's kind of hard not to" I reply.

He smiles at me and wraps his arm tightly around me. "I will fight to the death for you, as will Pam and Karin but it won't come to that, you are strong and a natural warrior you will prevail".

**oooOOOooo**

I open my eyes and I look straight into Eric's, he smiles at me.

"I am in serious danger of spoiling you by doing this, but I believe it is necessary, you need to be strong and well fed," he says carefully as he hands me a mug of blood.

I take it from him and drink it down, he refills it twice more before I indicate that I am replete. I realise what this means before Eric points it out to me, which he does with his next words.

"Ocella has risen, yet it is an hour till sunset if he is at the location I believe he is."

I take the flask of blood and pour another mug full and chug it down.

"Just to be certain," I say at Eric's questioning glance.

We head downstairs and I also dutifully drink a bottle of Trueblood, Eric was right it isn't as bad as the one I had last night, but it still isn't a pleasant experience.

Pam and Karin are waiting for us and they look expectantly at Eric.

"Have you both fed well?" he asks and they wordlessly nod their response.

"I will keep checking the bond to locate Ocella, I suggest we use the time we have wisely to continue with Sookie's training, I know Ocella's style better than anyone, I fought against it many times so I will spar with Sookie tonight, to prepare her for what to expect. Karin, you will instruct her, Pam I need you to go to Fangtasia and tell Thalia that my maker is coming this night to kill Sookie" he says.

I wonder what good that will do as Thalia won't care because it's nothing to do with her.

Pam smiles and disappears out of the house.

"What does Thalia have to do with this?" I ask.

Eric looks carefully at me, "She hates my Sire and with good reason" he says no more and I wonder what the story is there. I will probably never find out as Eric seems reluctant to elaborate and I'm sure Thalia won't tell me.

"OK," I say lamely, and I go to collect the weapons, Karin follows me and to my great surprise, she begins to explain.

"Thalia has known Eric all his existence, she is one of the oldest living vampires, even older than Eric, her Sire is the original vampire, Ambrogio, she was one of the very first of the first generation of vampires ever made, he was also the sire to Bruti Julius Aegaeus". The conversation with Eric comes back to me and I remember him saying that Aegaeus was Ocella's sire.

I return my attention back to Karin, "Aegaeus was Ocella's sire, so she knew Ocella right from his first moments, I believe she witnessed his rising as she was close to Aegaeus, she saw the evil in Ocella right from the start and begged Aegaeus to put him down, but he did not listen, he was arrogant and believed he could break Ocella's spirit and bring him into line, he failed, and Ocella eventually killed him, you have to realise not many vampires can do that, the link to their maker is too strong and no matter how badly they are mistreated there is always a lingering loyalty, but some manage to and Ocella did. Thalia never forgave Ocella for killing her brother. When Ocella started making his own progeny, Thalia kept a discreet eye on him, there were two progeny before Eric, but they did not survive Ocella's harsh treatment. When Thalia met Eric soon after he was made, she realised he was different, he had a strong Viking will and she helped him as much as she could, I believe she played a vital part in keeping him sane throughout his early years as a vampire when Ocella was at his most brutal, it is a kindness he never forgot and they have an unbreakable bond and mutual respect which has lasted over the centuries, he is loyal to her and she returns that loyalty to him, when she was expelled from Illinois and came to Louisiana, Eric didn't hesitate to let her settle in the area, many vampires were astounded at his decision, they warned him against it as she was considered too unpredictable and violent to mingle with vampires who were actively mainstreaming, but he refused to heed their advice and Thalia has never betrayed his faith in her, they have a very close bond, and he knows of her deep seated hatred for Ocella."

"Wow," I say when Karin stops speaking.

"You will not repeat any of that," she says sharply.

"I won't" I promise sincerely.

Karin stands and picks up a sword "Let's start, Eric will be joining us shortly".

I go over everything that Karin has just said, Ocella really is a piece of work and my hatred for him grows deeper.

As Karin and I are sparring, Eric appears with his own sword, the one he presented to me at the wedding, I smile as I see it. He turns to Karin.

"Ocella is on the move, he is consistently getting closer, each time I access the bond the distance has decreased significantly, so our assumptions appear to be correct and he is making excellent time."

Karin hands me a sword, "You will put into practice everything that I have taught you."

She turns to Eric, "You should prepare her fully, I know you will find it distasteful and your love for her will hinder you in the task, but she needs to be aware of what she is facing, and _all_ that he is capable of, you cannot spare her, if you do, your misplaced mercy could kill her, he won't show her the same consideration."

Eric has a pained expression on his face but he nods. I feel how conflicted he is, he doesn't want to do it and I am getting some really conflicting emotions, Karin looks at me with something almost akin to pity and then I remember Pam's words and I realise what she has asked Eric to do, she wants him to attack me like Ocella attacked her, I realise that means he could try and sexually attack me. I am glad Pam told me about what he did to Karin but it doesn't make it any easier at this moment, but I can actually see the reasoning behind her insisting Eric do that.

"Eric it's ok, I can take it, I need to know, I know it's not you," I say to him. I can feel him calm slightly and then a wave of pragmatism reaches me and washes over me.

He stares at me a moment, "Remember I love you and I do not want to do this, this is not me, I would never treat you in such a way" he says almost desperately.

I nod in understanding, and this seems to make him more resolute, and he nods once. "But you need to know what he is capable of" he says almost as if he is trying to convince himself as well as me, but I am already convinced.

I grip my sword tightly and brace myself. Eric moves so swiftly I barely register it and the next thing I realise he is on my back and tearing at my clothing and sinking his fangs into my neck, I am so shocked by the viciousness of his attack that I freeze momentarily, but then my instincts kick in but by the time I have started to fight back I am naked, and Eric is gripping me and thrusting into me, hard, I can't even feel him or his emotions to what he is doing through the bond as he has closed it, and it makes me feel almost abandoned by him, I scream and summon all the strength I have and I stab him with the sword, I realise what I have done and let go of the sword as Eric drops me and pulls away, I am sobbing as I fall in a heap on the ground.

In a flash Eric is beside me and pulling me into his arms, he reopens the bond and floods it with love and compassion, and I also feel his revulsion at what he has just done to me.

"Hush, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, please forgive me, but you needed to know what he is capable of, you needed to see" he whispers almost pleading with me to understand what he did.

I shiver "Well now I know," I turn towards Eric who is pumping our bond with love and apology, and I touch the blood stained tear in his shirt. He smiles and lifts it.

"Do not concern yourself I am healed," he says, then he turns to Karin, "I will not repeat that, I will not do that to my wife again, she is now fully aware" he hisses.

Karin stares at him, "But" she argues.

"NO!" he bellows, and Karin simply bows in acceptance, before leaving the room.

Eric returns his attention to me, "I should never have done that to you, please forgive me, making you aware is one thing, behaving like him to do so was not the correct way to achieve that awareness."

I touch Eric's arm, "No, Karin's right, I needed to know what I am facing, he is coming here to kill me, and I'm sure he won't do it quickly or nicely."

Eric stares at me, "I won't do that to you again, I felt your fear and pain through the bond it was indescribable, I will not subject you to that again."

"So you could still feel me, I couldn't feel you?" I ask.

Eric smiles sadly, "I closed the bond one way so you could not sense me" he explains.

I nod, understanding what he is telling me, "Eric, I need to practice, I need to be able to beat him." I say.

I can't believe I am actually asking Eric to attack and try and rape me, but I am pragmatically considering the alternative, if I am not prepared for Ocella when he arrives. "If he comes and I'm not totally prepared you will feel those feelings through our bond but for real as I won't be able to fend him off," I say trying to make him see reason.

"No," he says stubbornly.

A few moments later Karin returns with a robe and silently offers it to me, I take it with a word of thanks.

"You now understand how dangerous Ocella is, you cannot freeze, it will give him too much of an advantage," Karin says as she emotionlessly dissects my performance.

She looks me in the eye, "I made the same mistake when I first faced him" she mutters so quietly a human would not have heard it, but I heard and my conversation with Pam becomes so much clearer now.

"I won't freeze, I am not going to let that animal violate me" I hiss angrily.

As the night wears on we train diligently. I manage to persuade Eric to spar with me some more in Ocella's style of fighting which is sneaky and underhanded, much like the opinion I have of the vampire himself. But he point blank refuses to bite or violate me again, despite both my and Karin's strenuous objections.

At around 3:30 Eric checks the blood bond once more, he has been checking it regularly over the past couple of hours and this time when he opens his eyes there is a bleak expression on his face.

"He is here, it won't be long now, if you and Karin reach out you too should soon feel him through the bond."

At that moment Pam bursts through the door. "I've seen him, he's here" she splutters.

The atmosphere in the room changes abruptly at Pam's entry and announcement.

"Where is he?" Eric asks.

"About a mile down the road, he is coming straight here as you predicted, but I think he has been to Bon Temps first, as he was coming from that direction which he wouldn't have had he flown directly from the North West, he is flying, but not quickly I believe he is severely fatigued from the long journey, Thalia is on her way, she has agreed to assist us". I see Eric smile at these words.

He looks at me and places his hands on my shoulders, "I swear if it comes to it, I will die this night to protect you."


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

I am astounded by Eric's words, they go through my mind once more, '_I will die this night to protect you'_, this is huge for a vampire as old as him, he is prepared to go against his own maker, for me!

I feel humbled by that thought. I realise in that moment just how much Eric loves me if he is prepared to go against a being who essentially has control over his existence and has done for over a thousand years, I can't take my eyes off him as he paces around the room, this is so hard for him, and in that moment I silently vow I will not be a liability tonight, I will pull my weight and do my part to end Ocella once and for all and free my husband from his evil control, after making that decision I put it out my mind and concentrate on waiting for Ocella's arrival.

As we wait for Ocella to reach us, my mind starts wandering again and I go over Pam's words and a sudden question crosses my mind, which I quickly voice to three vampires in the room who are agitated and pacing as much as I am.

"Does he know I'm a vampire now or is he expecting a human?" I ask.

I quickly continue as I see them stop pacing and stare at me, blank looks on their faces. "The reason I ask is Pam said she thinks he went to Bon Temps first, as he was arriving from that direction, meaning he expected me to be a human living there, if he knew I'd been turned surely he would realise as a newborn vampire that I would be here with Eric, also Gran said '..._he knows of your Fae heritage and he believes it is his duty to rescue his progeny from you as he thinks you have bewitched him in some way' _so does he even know what I am now?" I look at each vampire in turn.

"It would certainly give us an advantage if he thinks he is dealing with a human with only a pinch of Fae."

I pause and smile cockily, "I mean, if he doesn't know he's dealing with a badass Fairy Vampire now, so that's a good thing, right?" I add when nobody says anything.

Eric grins at me, "Indeed it is lover," he says and he pulls me close and kisses me. Then he turns to look at Pam and Karin, "but we cannot take this for granted, we must assume he knows Sookie is now a vampire and that he will fight accordingly".

"He thinks he is coming to kill a human," Pam says with certainty a moment later.

Eric looks more cynical, "Possibly, but there is a chance he could have picked up something from the bond," he says.

Pam shakes her head, "He didn't know when you made me, he only knew about Karin because he had not long released you, but he was still trying to control you with stealth and was watching you and what you did from the shadows, but you know he doesn't check the bond very often now for your well-being and when he does access it's because he has a motive which concerns him, like with Alexei, he doesn't bother to look who else shares it with you."

That surprises me; I thought Vampires were released fairly quickly but if what Pam is saying is true Ocella didn't release Eric for centuries.

"Do you know when he accesses the bond?" I ask with interest.

Eric nods, "When a Sire accesses the bond with his progeny the child feels the pull, but not the other way around, you will learn this when you are released.

"You are going to release me?" I ask shocked.

Eric nods, "Eventually, yes, don't worry Sookie, as my wife I will assume you will choose to stay at my side, Pam is released but she chooses to stay nearby, when a progeny is released it means that they are free to make their own way in the world out of their makers orbit if they wish to."

"Oh ok, so it doesn't mean you will be sending me away then?" I ask.

Eric laughs, "No my love, not at all."

"It was a long time before Ocella released you, if it was only before you made Karin?" I ask, and Eric's amusement fades quickly.

"It was longer than is considered normal, but Ocella has always had issues with control," he says bitterly.

"Yet he doesn't care about you now?" I ask.

Eric shrugs, "it is a complicated relationship, Ocella is a complicated creature".

I quickly put it out of my mind as Eric stops and spins on the spot, and speaks to us all.

"He is here, it has taken him a long time to reach us from where Pam saw him" he frowns at that thought, "I sense him he is outside, and he is very fatigued, but do not make assumptions that his fatigue will make him weak, be on your guard and fight hard do not be complacent."

I feel Eric open the blood bond up fully, I feel Pam and Karin, Pam is relishing the coming fight but Karin is itching to get out there and kill him, and I can feel Ocella, he is trying to make me feel uncomfortable and unsettled through the bond, but now that I am a vampire it isn't working.

"He doesn't know" I blurt out, and everyone looks at me in surprise.

"He really doesn't know I am now a vampire, he is trying to make me feel uncomfortable through the bond like he did before, he thinks I am still human and that it will make me ill and weak like it did before" I whisper.

"We still need to be cautious," Eric says again. He reaches for me and grips my hand tightly. Karin thrusts the silver dagger into my other hand which I tuck into the belt of my jeans which I had changed into and then she hands me a sword.

"Remember what you have been taught," she says tightly and I nod.

"Thank you for teaching me Karin," I say and her face softens momentarily and she smiles at me, before resuming her impassive expression.

"Ok let's do this" Eric says grimly.

Silently we head towards the outside, I see Eric's sire walking towards the house. Eric steps out first and bows, Ocella stops and simply stares at him, and it isn't lost on me that he didn't even have the courtesy to bow back, Eric always returns bows and acknowledges other vampires no matter what their status compared to him, he is an honourable vampire whereas Ocella is just one arrogant son of a bitch.

"My son," he says coldly.

I feel Eric's revulsion through the bond at the words. I am watching from inside the house. Pam reaches for me, I look at her and she nods and sends reassurance and strength through the bond to me before she goes out next and stands at Eric's side, I notice she doesn't bow and this seems to anger Ocella a little.

"Your youngest progeny does not show me due respect my son," Ocella spits.

Well that confirms that he doesn't know about me, but I snort at his words I find his complaint somewhat hypocritical considering his lack of manners towards Eric.

"Why should she, you do not deserve respect, you are nothing but a worthless piece of shit," Karin says as she stalks outside, gripping her dagger and I grin, I couldn't have put it better myself.

Rather than anger Ocella appears amused by Karin's words, "Aah Karin how wonderful to see you, I had no idea you were visiting your Sire, I see you have not mellowed with age and you still bear the grudge of our first meeting."

I realise he is taunting her, but seeing her here has worried him as he wasn't expecting her to be here.

"I swore an oath to my Sire after that night that the next time I laid eyes on you I would kill you for both of us, unfortunately, it has taken until now to honour that oath, but I suppose not laying eyes on you for centuries is a blessing, but an oath is an oath, so prepare to die this night Ocella" she spits.

Ocella bursts out laughing at this and dismissing her words he turns to Eric, "I went to call on your little human _wife,_" he spits the word wife with such contempt it makes me smile, "but she didn't appear to be home, tell me my son is she here with you, I would so like to reacquaint myself with her?"

That's my cue! I gulp down a bottle of Trueblood and then at vampire speed I join the others.

"I live here now - You wanted to see me? Well, here I am, how's it going Appi?!" I taunt.

I hear Pam stifle a snort at my words, and I make a point of not bowing either, Eric taught me that not bowing to a fellow vampire when you meet them is a grave insult and interpreted as a lack of respect, so if anything I stand taller and make it obvious with my derisive look that I find him reprehensible.

I feel his shock register at seeing me as a vampire, quickly evolve into rage at my insulting greeting and for my lack of respect which he believes he is entitled to without question as Eric's sire, but he is also nervous, I feel he has now opened the bond and is assessing me and he can sense I am a newborn and he isn't sure how strong I am going to be, he is wondering when Eric turned me hoping this isn't the night of my rising as I would still have the super strength of a newly risen newborn, then he remembers how he managed to overpower Karin when she was a newborn by using her troubled past as an abused child against her giving him the advantage, and he is wondering what he can use as an advantage against me.

It is at this point I realise I am not only reading his mind but I am actually inside it to be getting all this and I am hearing his thoughts and not realising it, not only that it's even more than that, something I have never experienced before, it's as if I can anticipate his every move, I watch with interest as he shoots towards me. I effortlessly leap into the air and land on his back, I sink my fangs into his neck and yank hard spitting out mouthfuls of flesh. He shrieks and hisses as he reaches to pull me off, Karin calmly steps forward and skewers him with her silver sword but she doesn't go for a kill shot, she wants to torture him before she kills him, the silver weakens him considerably, he is clearly fatigued from the long journey and was only expecting to find Eric and me as a human, he was planning to command Eric not to intervene and to kill me in front of him to punish him for his weakness of loving me, but what he got was four rested, well fed vampires.

I reach for the silver dagger and push it flat against his throat whilst hanging on to him like a limpet, the blade is burning him, he is now clearly afraid and I am shocked he isn't putting up more of a fight.

I know I'm still quite strong as a newborn but my initial super strength has now gone and this is way too easy, I wonder why and delve into his head again and I realise why immediately, he is still healing from Alexei's attack, the magic that was used on him only healed the outer wounds. I remember he had severed limbs which needed to re-grow, the magic has accelerated the time it took for them to grow but as I go deeper, I find he has much damage inside which is still healing and was unable to be cured quickly with the magic.

I am actually quite impressed that Alexei managed to inflict so much lasting damage on such an old and powerful vampire, but as Eric had said Alexei was insane which wasn't a good combination with vampire strength. It has taken a lot out of Ocella to fly such a long distance I suddenly hear his thoughts loud and clear.

_What is she, she is no ordinary vampire, I know I was expecting a human but she is no ordinary vampire what is this magic?_

I whisper in his ear, "No, I'm not an ordinary vampire, I'm real special! And you are weak and in pain I sense it, you are not healed properly yet and this long journey has weakened you."

Eric stares at me realising I have heard Ocella's thoughts. He watches me as I anticipate every move Ocella makes and block him.

I look towards Pam and Karin who are circling, Karin is getting impatient and wants to attack, I call out to her and to Pam and Eric and describe what I know about Ocella.

"His internal organs are severely damaged, almost mush, he is weak, here, here and here are the worst" I call as I stab the silver dagger in the places of greatest weakness.

There is a burning smell and sizzling sound as the blade penetrates his skin. Ocella is trying vainly to shrug me off but I refuse to go, and he yelps with pain each time the dagger stabs him.

Karin leaps forward and attacks those places in a frenzy of movement as soon as I have moved the dagger.

I manoeuvre myself to maintain the hold I have on him, and he is struggling to shake me off, and Pam and Karin are hacking at him weakening him, even more, he is completely on the defensive that it actually shocks me. I let go and slide off his back and darting forward I jab him with the dagger, and I taunt him to try and get some fight out of him.

"Come on Appi this is boring, I was told you were this big fierce powerful vamp but you are making it far too easy for me," I say as I dance around him.

I leap on his back once more and effortlessly slice into his throat, but not deep enough to kill him.

I feel his anger and with an enormous surge of energy he roars and he shakes me off and goes to leap on me, but again I anticipate him and move quickly, I stab him once more with the dagger and drag it instead of pulling it cleanly out, it slices through him like butter and he shrieks in pain, as smoke rises from the wounds Karin, Pam and I have inflicted. He is weakening and not healing well and I continually aim for the areas where he has internal damage which is still far from totally healed to weaken him further.

Pam and Karin leap on him and I step back watching as they too both inflict some serious damage on him. It becomes apparent very soon that we can end this whenever we want to as he is really struggling now, but Karin wants to make him suffer more.

As I think this he tries to combine all his energy for one last lunge at me, but Karin and Pam rush forward and attack him once again and he falls to his knees on the ground.

"I want the kill" Karin calls out eventually and immediately Pam backs off, I do the same wondering what is going to happen now.

"Hold him" Karin orders, I step forward immediately and watch as Pam and Eric join me and we hold down the squirming wounded and bleeding vampire.

Karin pulls his pants down and I wonder what she is going to do, then she carefully pulls a broader silver sword from her back, Eric and Pam move slightly, exposing Ocella's rear and removing themselves away from the silver and it all becomes glaringly and appallingly obvious to me what she is going to do to him. Part of me wants to look away but I don't, I watch in morbid fascination as she rams the sword forcefully into Ocella's behind. He arches his back and lets out a blood curdling agonised scream.

"That is for my Sire and what you did to him," she hisses at him.

As well as Ocella's scream I hear a sizzling noise as the silver burns him and smoke starts rising. Then she twists the sword several times before she withdraws it only to slam it in again.

"And that one is for what you did to me" she adds as he screams again.

She withdraws the sword slowly only to plunge it in again and each time she does it Ocella shrieks in agony. She keeps repeating the action increasing speed as she does so all the time she is eerily silent, no taunting, no shouting nothing, it is like she is robotically completing a job. After a few moments, she pauses and she bends down and finally speaks to the whimpering vampire at her feet.

"Hurts doesn't it? You fucking bastard" she hisses and she rams the sword so far, I see his stomach split and the sword appearing out of a smoking hole.

I stare at her, she is totally expressionless, and I can't help but wonder if Ocella isn't the only one she is wreaking her revenge on in her mind at this moment. After what seems like an eternity, and more thrusting of the sword, which can now be seen coming out of the increasingly large hole in his stomach after each time she plunges it in, she pulls the sword out completely and gazes at Ocella expressionlessly, then she lazily slices into him, with swift economic movements she removes all of his limbs so he is completely helpless, he is continually screaming as the silver slices into him and she is covered with his blood but she doesn't bat an eye, I realise how she got her Karin the slaughterer name now as I watch her work.

Then she silently moves and rolls him over on to his back so he is looking up at her, he is a pitiful sight, as he gazes at her covered in blood, no arms or legs just a body with bloody stumps protruding from it, but his mouth is still issuing vile insults at her, which she is ignoring, I continue to watch and she smiles at him, she looks at me and points at the silver dagger still clutched in my hand.

"May I borrow your dagger Sookie?" she asks politely.

I unthinkingly offer it to her blade first before I realise what I am doing, "sorry," I say as I manoeuvre my hand so she can grab it without burning herself.

She smiles at me, then turning her attention back to Ocella she crouches beside him and reaching over she lifts his penis with her finger and thumb barely pinching the end almost as if she doesn't really want to touch it and finds the task distasteful, Ocella's eyes widen and then he lets out a squeal as she swipes the dagger and cuts it cleanly off. She looks at it and lets out a snort of laughter before carelessly tossing it to the side.

"Ready to die?" she asks him benignly, it is chilling to watch her she takes the sword and places it on his chest ready to stab him through the heart as she raises it to plunge it into him I hear a thought.

_They have no idea what is coming._

"STOP!" I yell and everyone stares at me.

I look down at Ocella, "What is coming?" I demand.

He gazes up at me in shock, Eric stares at me. "What did you hear lover?" he asks quietly.

"He thought they have no idea what is coming," I say.

Ocella's mouth drops open, and Pam and Karin stare at me in shock, it is clear they hadn't caught on to the fact that I could hear his thoughts as Eric had.

"I don't know how but I can hear him, I can hear his thoughts, but it's different it feels like I am actually in his head" I whisper as I try to explain.

_Maximillian!_

My gaze swings back to Ocella, "What about Maximillian?" I say sharply.

He stares at me again until Karin presses the sword against his chest. "Answer her you piece of shit" she growls.

Ocella glances at me once more "He said the magic that he used to heal me after Alexei's attack could have some lasting side effects and I am assuming that because she can hear my thoughts that this is the explanation."

I nod, happy to have a cover. The last thing I want is Ocella knowing I'm a telepath even if he about to die, but that is also the only explanation I have for this depth of penetration I have into his mind.

"Ok, so what is coming?" I repeat.

He grins an evil grin. "You have no fucking idea!" he hisses and then laughs almost manically.

I go into his head but am getting nothing from him, and an idea strikes me, "Who did you get to impersonate you the other night and why did only Eric and I sense him or her?" I ask.

Immediately I get a wave of confusion as if he doesn't understand the question but slowly I get a mental picture of a tall man.

"Who?" I ask again and I glance at Eric, "When I asked him who, he didn't seem to know what I was talking about but then I got a visual of a man from him, tall - but not as tall you, say 6 foot ish, very, very dark hair, almost black and it's long but not as long as yours, possibly just to his shoulders, very dark brown eyes almost black, very angular features and he has a really nasty scar all the way across his face, running diagonally from his right eyebrow across his nose and down his left cheek to his jaw line, I trace the line on my own face, he is built and I mean really built, he looks like he's taken far too many steroids" I stop and Eric looks blankly at me and shakes his head.

Pam and Karin look equally clueless.

"The person you describe sounds very like my Sire" I turn at the voice and see Thalia walking towards us, she takes in the scene in front of her and she looks at Eric and smiles widely.

"My apologies for my late arrival I was delayed, but it appears you didn't need my assistance North man, but thank you for letting me witness this sight, it is one I have longed to see for more than a millennia."

She walks up to Ocella and pausing to glance at his discarded severed penis she takes a shot look at Karin and nods, then kicking one of his limbs out of the way she nudges him roughly with her foot.

"Explain why you show images of my Sire to the North man's progeny."

"Ambrogio is here, in the United States" Ocella wheezes.

"Nonsense he never leaves Italy" Thalia spits.

Ocella looks momentarily confused, "But I saw him myself, I met with him and he said he was coming to see my child, I know my grandsire when I see him," he says.

Thalia laughs "If you had truly met with Ambrogio you would not still be walking the earth, he swore to slay you if he saw you again after you killed Aegaeus. My brother was the first human to willingly become one of us and as such retained special favour with my sire, he was incandescent with rage when he heard you had not only dishonoured your Sire but in the process slain his favoured progeny and he swore that if he ever laid eyes on you personally again he would end you, and he refused to allow any of his progeny to complete the task for him although many offered, including myself – Aegaeus was well liked amongst his brothers and sisters".

"But," Ocella says, his eyes dart from Thalia to each of us in turn.

"That is not what I asked you, I asked you, who it was you sent to my woods the night I rose as a vampire, the being who impersonated you?" I persist.

"What is he thinking Sookie?" Eric asks me and all the vampires look at me expectantly.

I concentrate on Ocella "I am getting a confusion of thoughts now, he has no idea what I am talking about, he didn't send whoever it was, he is thinking a lot of things all at once, he is wondering if he has been duped which is making him angry, he is also wondering who it was he met with as he believes what Thalia has just said, but he doesn't doubt the evidence before his eyes when he met with that guy who he really believed was Ambrogio."

I pause and snort with laughter, "he is getting really pissed at the thought something has been impersonating him and now he is getting pissed at me because I can hear his thoughts and he is cursing Maximillian from a pig to a dog, for causing it, he ...oh that's interesting, he now thinks Maximillian also has something to do with the fake Ambrogio, and possibly the being who we say came to us, he really wants to kill me and he wants me to shut the hell up."

I glance at him, "Not on your life, not till you tell us what is coming" I push.

"What do you mean?" Thalia asks.

"When Karin was going to kill him he thought the words 'they have no idea what's coming' but he won't elaborate, and he is keeping any thoughts on that subject totally locked away". I feel myself probing deeper into his mind almost as if I am trying to become him.

But he fights me and locks down the answers I am trying to find, I am astonished as suddenly a slew of clearly old memories fill my head, they flood my mind and they are very disturbing, Before I can stop myself I react to them as my head whips up to Eric and I shake my head trying to clear it, he can see the shock and distress on my face.

"What is it?" he asks me.

"I can see...the bastard is showing me his memories, of what he did to you" before I can stop myself a bloody red tear rolls down my cheek and Ocella smiles as he sees it and he pumps even more appalling memories into my mind, I place my hands on my head trying to make it stop as I can't seem to break the link with him.

"Aah I have found the special one's weakness and it appears to be you my son" Ocella taunts.

Eric roars at Ocella and leaps on him grabbing at him and snapping his torso in half so now he looks a limbless boneless mess he throws his Sire to the floor and he gets up and turns to Karin.

"You wanted the kill my child – do it, finish him, do it now."

"But" Pam questions but Eric shakes his head.

"No, he won't give us any further information, and he has found a means to torture Sookie, I can feel her distress so end it now," he says.

As he says this I get the name Maximillian once more and look at Eric, "He has just thought about Maximillian again" I say.

Eric nods "It could mean anything, he could be just taunting us, send him to his final death Karin" Eric says.

With that Karin plunges the silver sword through Ocella's chest with such force it comes right through the other side and pierces the ground so his remains are pinned to the ground until he starts to disintegrate leaving the sword standing upright planted deeply into the earth.

The memories Ocella was bombarding me with vanish and I look at Eric who is now on his knees, clutching at his stomach and chest and groaning in pain, I run to him.

"Eric what is it are you hurt?" I ask and I wrap my arms around him.

Thalia comes to me and gently pulls me away "Do not concern yourself he suffers only momentarily, the discomfort he feels is the blood bond between him and Ocella being severed now that his Sire has met his final death, such a long lasting bond will inevitably cause some physical pain but it is only temporary, he will recover momentarily" she assures me.

I continue to watch Eric, and Pam and Karin come to me, "he will be fine" Pam says reassuringly.

"He should have told you this would happen to him when we killed Ocella" Karin says.

A moment later Eric rises to his feet and stretches, he appears fine now, he holds up his arms and an enormous smile fills his face, "I am finally free" he says loudly, "I AM FREE!" he bellows.

He turns towards us and he as he looks at me he holds his arms open and I don't hesitate I rush into them and hold him tightly, the tears are flowing freely.

"Shall we go inside and discuss the events of tonight and what we have discovered?" Pam asks, she isn't speaking to anyone in particular but we all move towards the house.

Thalia comes with us, "I would be interested to hear about the events of tonight North man, and it appears you have been keeping secrets regarding your newest progeny" she is talking to Eric but she glances at me as she says it.

We head inside and I carefully slide my hand into Eric's, he immediately reacts to it and pulls me close, and floods our bond with reassurance, I squeeze his hand gratefully. We all sit around in the huge living room and I have to force myself not to get up and offer everyone drinks. I sit down next to Eric and he immediately pulls me into his lap and wraps his arms tightly around me.

"Ocella had dabbled in things which didn't concern him," Eric says as an opener, Thalia looks at him but doesn't say anything, clearly waiting for him to continue.

"He befriended Maximillian and got him to heal him using his magic after Alexei's attack," Karin says jumping into the conversation.

"Ocella seemed to think this was why Sookie could hear his thoughts," Pam says next.

Thalia nods and then looks at me, "But you were a telepath before you were turned perhaps your gift has improved?" she asks.

I shake my head, "No, I still can't hear vampires...normally, we checked that the night I first arose, but there was something very different about him though, it was as if I was actually in his head, that is why it was so easy to fight him as I knew what moves he was going to make before he made them, it was a very weird sensation I can tell you, plus his recovery from Alexei's attack was superficial, he was still severely damaged on the inside, he was still healing and a long way from cured and the long flight here weakened him considerably...I felt it" This revelation makes Pam and Karin stare at me in surprise.

"So, Maximillian deceived him, made him believe he was cured when actually he wasn't?" Pam asks.

"It is possible, or he felt he was healed enough to deal with me, after all, he was only expecting me and Eric, he had planned to command Eric not to intervene, and he was expecting me to be a human, he was planning to kill me in front of Eric to punish him for his weakness" I shiver at the thought and push myself closer to Eric.

He responds and he wraps his arm around me tighter and pulls me close, "You did very well tonight I am exceedingly proud of you," he looks around at Pam and Karin, "I am very proud of all of you" he adds.

I see Karin almost glow under Eric's praise whereas Pam just shrugs it off. I don't say anything but wait for someone else to make the next move.

"So, what do we think is coming?" Pam asks eventually breaking the silence.

"It could be anything" Karin replies with a shrug.

"Could it have something to do with Maximillian and his magic?" I ask and there is a murmur of agreement.

"What about that thing that appeared in the woods and the one pretended to be Thalia's maker could it be the same being?" I ask, again there are murmurs I look at Eric. "I have a theory about that" I begin carefully.

"Go on," he says encouragingly.

"A Fairy," I say simply.

Everyone gasps and stares at me, "Do you remember when Niall said, he said I could start showing fairy powers now that my spark thing has been ramped up, and he said one of those powers is imitating others, do you remember him saying that?" I pause and Eric nods.

"Well, I know that it is possible because Fintan did just that, he came and posed for photographs with Gran and his kids but he looked like Gran's human husband in the pictures, so what is stopping another fairy doing the same thing, but why would he impersonate the first ever vampire just to get Ocella's attention?" I ask.

Thalia leans forward, "to get access to Ocella so he could see him and study him so he could also impersonate him correctly."

It all seems to fit into place, "And the only reason why only Eric and I could sense him is because of my spark thing and because Eric had recently drained me of my blood which contained my fairy essence and he had spent the day in fairy magic drenched ground with me, and that is why the elemental warned me because she too sensed it was a fairy and not Ocella" I say, totally proud of myself for appearing to figure it out.

"It all sounds very plausible," Eric says carefully.

I turn to face him, "I'm sensing a, but, here?" I ask.

"I also remember what Desmond said when you questioned him, he admittedly agreed that fairies may appear as holes to you as you are now a vampire but that was before Niall confirmed that you are now more Fae since you were turned, so as you are also now more Fae you would not sense a hole, and you got glimpses of Niall's thoughts that night which you had never previously been able to do, also Niall was adamant that he had no knowledge of it being fairy mischief and the Fae cannot lie" Eric says.

"Hmmm that's a good point...but there are other fairies in the Faery ones who don't get along with Niall he told me about them, the Water Fae, if they are planning something, Niall probably wouldn't know and they have hated me and wanted me dead ever since the day I was born" I say.

"Niall said he would implement an investigation and inform us of its findings, I think we should contact him and push this issue now that we have this new information," Eric says.

Karin nods, "I agree, there seems to be a number of different things going on here, Ocella had his own agenda, which is now moot as he is gone, then there is this thing which is coming which Ocella mentioned, now this could be something different again or it could be related to this imbalance - which we are no further forward with, and then this issue with the Ocella impersonator, I believe that they are all unrelated but happening at the same time" she says.

"Then there is also that damn Empath demon we don't know what his deal is," I say.

Karin looks questioningly at me and I remember she wasn't there and we never told her about what happened with him.

"That Empath Demon who came with Niall and Mr Cataliades, showed up here later when I was alone with Pam he said he had a message for me from my Gran, who is dead, he held my hand and Gran appeared that was how we knew Ocella was coming, because she warned us, then she went to tell us another warning and he shifted breaking the connection and making her vanish, he then blamed me for breaking the connection but afterwards when I went over it I realised it was him, we still don't know what it was that Gran was warning about and why he prevented us from finding out, Mr Cataliades is supposed to be looking into it after Eric called him".

I see Karin's mind working things out, and I turn towards Thalia, "I think just for confirmation Thalia should ask her sire if he has recently visited the US just to make totally sure that we are looking for an imposter and if it is, was it a fairy then how did he get the information on Ambrogio, so he could impersonate him, he might be able to provide us with something that could help us, plus he would probably want to know that someone or something is going around impersonating him...I know I would" I say with a shrug.

Thalia nods thoughtfully, "I will, this needs to be stopped before it gets out of hand, well done...Sookie".

I feel relieved and a little dizzy with pride at Thalia's response to my request and I smile widely at her.

"I think we have exhausted every possibility tonight, we will contact Niall when we rise and see if he has any further information, and perhaps we should look into Maximillian's activities as this would be prudent if he is assisting vampires it is concerning as to what his motive is" Eric says.

Karin looks towards Eric, "Also we need to chase up Desmond, to find out if he has discovered anything regarding the Empath Demon and we could also find out if he knows of another more trustworthy Empath demon that could provide a link to Sookie's dead grandmother and we could obtain the second warning from her".

"That is an excellent idea," Eric says.

"What sort of demon is Mr Cataliades?" I ask as I remember that there are many different kinds.

"Mori" Eric states simply, I gesture with my hand for him to elaborate which he does.

"A warrior demon, he is magnificent with a sword, he has the gifts of telepathy and strength which are useful in battle, and also Mori demons are known for their strategic cunning minds, which is what makes him a first class lawyer". I smile at this assessment.

"I like working things out so perhaps he didn't only give me the gift of telepathy," I murmur to myself, but Eric hears me.

"It is more than possible my love, and it also explains your exceptional natural fighting ability not to mention your impressive kill record when you were a human," he says.

We talk for a few more minutes but it seems we are just going round in circles. Eventually everyone decides to call it a night and one by one we all stand up, Thalia leaves and so does Pam, but Karin is staying here in the guest room.

"Dawn is close, I am going to rest for the day" she looks at me closely, "You did very well tonight you used your advantages and made Ocella seem laughably weak, I am proud to call myself your sister" with that she turns and walks away.

Eric wraps his arm around me, "that is high praise from Karin, this means she has accepted you and not many people have been accepted by Karin" he says sadly.

I smile and touch his face, "I've had enough of everything for tonight, the things that Ocella showed me...what he did to you" I stop and shake my head.

"Sookie," he says almost apologetically and I feel regret through the bond.

"No, stop it, you are not to blame, he was a monster, now take me to bed and make love to me – make me forget, drive those memories out of my head and make all the trouble that is circulating around us go away for tonight."

"With pleasure my wife," he says his fangs descending, and I see the now noticeable bulge in his pants, I bravely press my hand to it and he growls thrusting his hips forward.

"Take me to bed," I say again and in the blink of an eye we soon in our resting place, naked and lost in each other.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

The sun has set and I have just awoken, I lie in bed, thinking, I am unsettled as I still can't shake those memories Ocella forced into my head. I know I only got just a small glimpse of the horrific time Eric endured during the early years of his existence as a vampire but the few memories Ocella did share with me were truly horrific. Ocella was sadistic and I would say he was a psychopath, had he been human he would have definitely been labelled as a psychopath but the fact he was a vampire just seemed to give him free reign.

As I lie there, the door of the small shower room opens and Eric strides in, with his great age he always rises before me, and tonight he has used that time to shower as he is totally and unashamedly naked, his hair still glistening wet, I often wonder if it is his vampire nature or that of the Viking in him that makes him so comfortable with his body and his brazenness at displaying it along with his sexuality, or maybe it could just be the fact he knows he is absolutely magnificent.

"You have risen," he says stating the obvious, he gives me a wide grin and I smile weakly back at him.

"I have" I reply, he frowns slightly and slides back into bed next to me.

"What troubles you? I feel odd things through our bond."

I lean against him and wrap my arm around him, "I can't get those images out of my head, what that bastard did to you it was..." I stop and bury my head into his chest and I squeeze him to me, but to my dismay, I feel him push me away, but he is still gripping my shoulders tightly so I know this is affecting him a little bit.

"Sookie stop, talk to me, what did he show you? Please tell me so I can explain what happened in context and tell you how everything is alright."

My anger flares and I whip my head up and stare at him, his arms drop away from me he is shocked at my reaction. "How can you say that? How can what he did to you be considered ok, How can there be any context where what he did to you could be considered reasonable behaviour?" I spit at him angrily, getting louder with each word.

"You misunderstand me, tell me what he showed you and I can put it into some sort of context and tell you when it happened and why it happened. He was at his most brutal for the first centuries of my existence, when incidentally I was at my most rebellious, Sookie think about that for a moment, I was a Viking when he found me, we are talking a time over a thousand years ago, and during that time his treatment of me wasn't unheard of amongst our kind, admittedly times have changed over the years and what was considered acceptable behaviour then, is now considered brutal and barbaric, but he taught me to survive, and look at me Sookie I am here over a thousand years later, still alive, and I am whole, what he did, it was a long time ago and did not break me, I learnt from it, I made the best of the situation I was in and used it and learnt from it, I did not let it damage me as Bill was damaged by Lorena." He holds out his arms as though he is showing me nothing remains on him of that time.

I stare at him in disbelief, "I can't believe you are defending him and condoning what he did to you Eric, he was an animal, no, he was worse than that...he raped you, repeatedly raped you, I saw what he did to you, he bound you in silver and he raped you, and he did it so many times I saw at least 12 separate occasions in my head last night when he violated you, I saw how he made you kneel in front of him, grabbed your head and forced you to..." I stop as I am losing control, I was now yelling loudly and I pause to regain control, my anger at Ocella is palpable and I shake my head as memories of my proud honourable vampire on his knees in front of his naked and aroused sire fill my mind.

"How in any way can that be considered teaching you to survive?" I whisper.

"He forced me to give him give him fellatio many times," he says tightly and I stare at him sickened by the very thought of my proud vampire being forced to do that against his will. "Sookie please it was a long time ago," he says again.

Anger rises in me "I saw the look on your face, as he violated you, and humiliated you I felt your pain and I felt his amusement at your pain, I _felt_ it Eric, I felt it all" tears are falling now and he stares at me in shock.

"You felt it?" he asks disbelievingly.

I nod, "Everything, that's why I can't get rid of it, that is why I can't accept any explanation for what he did, that is why I am so angry about this Eric, I'm not angry at you, please never think that, you were not to blame for what that monster did, none of what you suffered was your fault, I'm angry at him for what he did to you, because with every horrible memory he showed me he also made sure I got the full experience, I felt what you felt at the time he did it to you."

Eric pulls me close, "Oh my god I had no idea, how?"

I grip him tightly and shake my head, "I have no idea, the only thing I can think of is it must have been that extra thing I managed to do...you know, be in his head. When he was doing those things to you, he obviously felt what you were feeling through your blood bond and he showed that to me as well. He was a complete sadist Eric, he showed me one memory where he cut you, he sliced your flesh off, it was like he was skinning you alive, he had you on your stomach and he skinned your back, I felt every lash of the knife and every moment of your pain why did he do that to you?"

Eric snorts "That was a punishment."

I stare at him my mouth hanging open, "what on earth could you have done that was so bad, to make him think that was acceptable?"

Eric looks at me and he has that far away look in his eyes, as he remembers down the years, "I had been a vampire for only about fifty years at that point and I was still openly rebelling against him, practically every day I had some kind of punishment for some transgression, on this particular occasion I had disobeyed him and refused to kill a human he had captured for sport".

I look at him questioningly, wondering what he means by that and Eric shakes his head. "He liked to play with his food," he says bitterly.

I think he has finished speaking but then after a moment he continues. "I had recently discovered my ability to fly, I kept it a secret from Ocella and practiced in private when I was alone, that particular night I was practicing when he arrived and brought the human and locked him in a cage he kept, I hid and watched him, I knew the fact he had brought him into the nest alive meant he wanted to... have some fun with him, I had witnessed Ocella's games before with humans, I found what he did unnecessary and distasteful, but I was unable to stop him, you have to remember this was a time when vampires lived in the shadows and the majority of them were just like Ocella, or worse, Ocella went and left me alone with the man, I knew he was going to do something more than just feed so I took pity on the man and I told him to be quiet, and I released him and then I flew him to safety and glamoured him into forgetting he had ever met us." he pauses and looks slightly ashamed as though his compassion at saving the man was a weakness.

"You have to remember I was still a very new vampire and I still had small hints of humanity left inside me," he says earnestly as though he is trying to justify his actions, he stops speaking again and I place my hand on his arm.

"Eric, I don't know if this is the right thing to say or not, but that isn't a bad thing, you are honourable, you didn't ask for what you became but because of who you are you accepted it and in some part embraced it, you didn't allow yourself to be broken by Ocella, your pragmatic nature forced you to make the best of things and not worry about the things you had no power to change, you saw the positive in what you had become and worked with what you had, but you were an honourable human and so you became an honourable vampire who accepted the fact that you needed humans for food, but didn't see the need to torture innocent people for fun as a part of it, that is why I love you so much, because you are inherently good. Having a maker like Ocella and staying true to the person you were before you became a vampire, well that takes an enormous amount of strength and courage, I mean you could quite easily have ended up twisted, damaged and disturbed like Bill and probably many other vampires out there but you didn't." I stop speaking, and wait for Eric to respond.

He just stares at me, I have no idea if what I have just said pleased him or if I have just totally insulted him, when he speaks again he doesn't respond to what I have just said but continues with his story about that night.

"When I returned, Ocella was waiting for me and he was furious, he starved me for a week, he refused to let me feed and then he bound me and skinned my back, the lack of blood made healing very slow, plus I was a very new vampire, so healing is slower anyway. He told me that what he did was a punishment for my weakness towards a human, he told me that what he was doing to me was what he was going to do to the human, so as I had released him I had to endure it in his place and then he forced me to fly in my injured state it was very...uncomfortable, that was a punishment for my secrecy, and for not informing him I had the ability to fly, and he told me that as I seemed to enjoy flying so much, I should partake some more so he refused to allow me to land, he commanded me to keep flying even though I was exhausted and in pain. The weather deteriorated and I ended up flying in a hail storm, lumps of ice beating down on my raw bleeding back, well you can imagine how painful it was, eventually I simply fell out of the sky as I couldn't continue anymore, Ocella then punished me for landing when he had commanded me to keep flying. He bound me and me made me take him...in my mouth." He stops speaking and his bows his head and I don't hesitate I reach out and pull him close.

I am thankful that I didn't see that whole memory played out in full, the small part I did see was enough, but what Eric has just described is beyond comprehension.

Silence spills out between us for a few moments then as his arms snake around me, I speak again, "He showed me another time where he bound you in silver and he made money out of whoring you out to others and you..." I stop and shake my head unable to continue.

"He did that often, I made him a lot of money over the years," Eric says bitterly.

"Why?" I ask.

He looks at me, "When the humans were distracted by what they were doing to me, they were easy prey for him, it was all a game to him, and it passed the time."

I shake my head in disgust. "I know it was all a game to him, because as well as your pain and humiliation I also got glimpses of what he was feeling when he was torturing you, and I got that much from the emotions I was getting from him, but it was something more than that, it was something much worse, because he got off on your pain Eric".

Eric shakes his head, "I am so sorry, I have no idea what to say to you Sookie, I never wanted you to know what I had experienced at Ocella's hand, can you forgive me?" he looks at me and I stare at him in confusion.

"What on earth are you apologising for Eric? None of that was your fault, so there is nothing for me to forgive you for," I sigh unnecessarily and Eric smiles at me.

"You still hang on to parts of your humanity; you don't need to breathe Sookie so you don't need to sigh"

"I know that, look I'm sorry, I just love you so much and seeing you like that, seeing and feeling what he did to you, well all I can say is I'm glad Karin mutilated him and made him suffer before she killed him, if I had known the extent of what he did to you beforehand, I would have asked her to ram his dick down his worthless throat after she cut it off," I pause, Eric is staring at me.

I shake my head, "I shouldn't be making this about me, but I was just so angry at him – for you, because I love you" I get up and Eric grabs my arm.

"I am honoured that you love me so deeply, that you feel so strongly about what I endured, you know generally speaking Vampires are not known for feeling empathy for others."

I smile, "Yeah? Well, I'm no ordinary Vampire!"

**oooOOOooo**

After a very successful hunt where Eric taught me how to seek out, stalk and catch my prey, he has taught me how to casually prey upon people so I feed without their knowing what I had done, he told me that if I was to spook the people I was looking to feed on and they ran the outcome wouldn't be very good for anyone.

I had asked him what he meant by that and he had looked at me seriously, '_you are a predator now Sookie_' he had told me and he went on to explain that if they ran from me all my predatory instincts would kick in and I would go into a frenzy and hunt to kill which meant that as a newborn I wouldn't be able to control the feed once I caught them and that would end in a messy death for the human and unwanted negative exposure for vampires and big trouble for Eric personally for not being able to control me. That had surprised me and shocked me a little and made me all the more determined to listen to Eric carefully.

He showed me how to determine which humans make the healthy meals, I have learned that if a human has a sickly sweet scent they are to be avoided at all cost as they have Hepatitis or HIV and whilst not fatal makes vampires incredibly ill for a while. A damp mouldy smell is a sign of a drug abuser and again someone to be avoided, and finally a minty smelling human is someone who has been undergoing some sort of intensive hospital treatment for example chemotherapy or dialysis, I am told these are to be avoided purely as the blood tastes contaminated, but I don't think I would want to feed on someone who has some kind of disease which necessitates hospital intervention. Likewise, I've learned that the fresher the scent of the human, the better the blood and another way to determine a healthy meal is to listen to the blood, if you can hear it gushing through the veins loudly that is a good sign the louder the gush the healthier the blood.

I am more than happy with the outcome tonight, with Eric's guidance and advice I have successfully caught, glamoured, fed, re glamoured and released two people and fed enough to quench my hunger for blood. Eric encouraged me and talked me through each feed, I see what Eric meant about being spoilt the previous nights. By him giving me mugs of blood without me have to work for it didn't help me at all, and if he continued to do that I would become lazy and too dependent on him, I need to learn to do this, and do it well as this is how I will survive.

I am shocked at the intensity of the hunger I have when I rise, I can just about control it until I get out amongst people but then the urge to feed is overwhelming, all I can sense is blood pounding through the veins of every human within a 10 mile radius and I _need_ that blood. Eric has assured me that this need will subside after a few weeks to a manageable level, but he has told me my control for a vampire so new is outstanding.

When we return to the house I dutifully drink a bottle of Trueblood although I don't really want it. I am now at the point of tolerating the taste, it isn't pleasant, but I no longer have a violent reaction to the overly metallic taste.

"You did very well tonight Sookie, you are responding to this life well, you are embracing it and getting much from it," Eric says as he too gulps back a bottle of Trueblood.

I beam at him basking in his praise, I think a lot of that comes from the fact I had the choice, if I had been turned against my will I doubt I would be as responsive, in fact, I fear that I would have probably become as bitter and twisted as Bill was. I am just about to answer him when I see Thalia appear in the doorway.

"Sheriff," she says and then she turns towards me, "Sookie" she adds almost as an afterthought. I nod at her in greeting.

"Good Evening Thalia," I say politely.

"I have news, I spoke to my Sire, and he is as I assumed, still in Italy, he was concerned to hear of someone impersonating him to trick Ocella, and while he disliked him greatly, he was angered that someone had deceived him. He was gratified to hear of Ocella's demise and requested I passed on his regards to Karin to acknowledge her role. He also was interested to hear about your new progeny when I told him about her part in Ocella's demise, and he asked me to pass on his personal greetings to Sookie."

She glances at me, "That is a great honour, one of the greatest honours there is as a vampire, to be acknowledged by the first vampire is very rare," she looks away and continues to speak, "I enquired whether he had any information regarding our impersonator and if he had come into contact with any unusual beings, and he spoke of a stranger coming to the castle where he resides, requesting sanctuary for the coming dawn, he claimed to be a vampire and he had the aura of a Supernatural but Ambrogio said it was muddled and unlike any aura he had previously seen, but the stranger satisfied him that he was no threat, and he left the next evening with thanks and he also left a generous tribute to my maker for his kindness, so I would assume this was our imposter and he was incognito when he approached Ambrogio.

"They clearly have a mission, if they are prepared to go to such lengths," Eric says thoughtfully.

"Or they are a distraction," I say, both Eric and Thalia stare at me, "Think about it, what are we doing? We are spending time wondering who this person, being or whatever it is, is and why they are doing what they are doing, they plant a convoluted trail which is easy to follow by the very nature of how they have done it, which only serves to distract us, but what are they trying to distract us from, ...my guess is the bigger picture and what is the bigger picture here?" I pause and look at Eric and then Thalia with my eyebrows raised.

"The imbalance" Eric murmurs.

I nod, "Exactly, I still have this feeling everything is linked somehow."

"But what does all this have to do with us?" Thalia asks.

"That is a very good question, I still have this hunch it has something to do with my relationship with Sookie, in every possible way Fae and Vampires are incompatible, and yet we work together and we work well," he pauses and gives me a scorching look, "and now that Sookie is a vampire, she also appears to be more Fae as well as a result, something which would seem to be incomprehensible, I believe this has something to do with it".

I look at Eric carefully, are you still going to phone Niall and Mr Cataliades to see what they have discovered?" I ask.

Eric nods, "I am, Pam is at Fangtasia tonight, she is deputising for me with my sheriff duties while I train you and she will be contacting Desmond."

"Ok," I say, then I look around, "Where's Karin?"

"She has gone hunting," he says and he says it with such finality that I know I am not to ask questions, and it quickly dawns on me that she is probably out on a paid mercenary mission and is stalking and killing someone or something.

Suddenly Thalia stands, "I will be going now sheriff, if I discover any further information I will be in touch" with that she turns and walks out of our house.

I have a sudden idea "What about the Shreef?" I ask.

"What about it?" Eric asks looking slightly confused.

"What if I ask it what it saw," I say.

He smiles, "You can try but I doubt you would get any real answer."

"But it's worth a try, will you take me to Bon Temps?" I ask eagerly.

He nods and rises out of his seat, holding out his hand to me, I stand and take it, he leads me into the backyard, and wrapping his arm around me he shoots into the sky.

"Do you think I could inherit your gift of flight?" I shout above the wind whistling past us.

"It is possible, but it never got passed on to Karin or Pam, but you my love defy all the odds" he shouts back over his shoulder.

I smile at his loving tone which was evident despite the fact his voice was raised. Before I know it I am being placed on my feet in the familiar backyard.

I glance around me, there is no sign of the Shreef, to be fair I didn't really to expect to see it, after all, I'm not here anymore, if it was keeping watch over me, now that I have gone it could have moved on. As I am thinking this I feel the wind pick up suddenly, I glance to my right and see the familiar Shreef shape starting to materialise.

I smile and walk towards it, Eric keeps his distance, knowing that if he gets too close he will make it vanish. I wonder why I don't have the same effect now that I am a vampire, then I realise it must sense my increased fairyness which seems to attract it.

"Hi," I say carefully peering at the apparition, I feel a bit silly doing this but I have to try.

"Sssoookie" the apparition drawls sounding a little bit like a hissing snake.

I smile I can still hear it, "Hi, I was wondering if I could talk to you...if that's ok?" I ask deferentially, this creature has helped me so I want to make sure I show it due respect.

"I was expecting you, you seek answers," the creature whispers.

I nod firmly, "I do, so many things are happening that I don't know what to focus on and who is my enemy and I can't help wondering if they are all linked in some way, the others think they are all separate and it's a coincidence that they are all happening at the same time, but I have this feeling in my gut that niggles at me and tells me there is a link between them all" I say getting all my thoughts out in a jumbled rush.

The apparition moves closer, "You trust that vampire?" it asks, I glance towards Eric and nod again.

"I do, he is honourable and I trust him implicitly," I say.

"I don't, you trusted another vampire and it was misplaced," it says.

I realise it is talking about Bill, "Yes I did trust Bill, but I discovered the truth in the end and Eric and his child Karin rectified my oversight, that vampire is now dead" I say.

There is a silence and then the apparition moves closer still, "I do not trust vampires, but you, although you carry their blood you are also of the Fae... and other things which you are ignorant of, you can be trusted, I have watched you for many years, I came to this land drawn to you when you arrived as a child, you are in grave danger, there are those who do not like that you have become linked with the Vampire, and those who fear you for what you have become as a result, and what you are still to become, your instincts are correct, everything you have been experiencing is linked tenuously and loosely by fate but your joining with the vampire has brought together many who would never normally cross paths and ally with each other and for others to revisit their long lost heritage," she starts to fade but I call out.

"Wait, that thing you stopped us from confronting please tell me...was it a fairy?" I ask desperately.

"It was," it says and then it vanishes.

"Holy shit" I mutter.

The next second Eric is beside me clearly feeling my roiling emotions to what I have just heard.

"What did it say?" he asks.

I turn towards him and wrap my arms around him, "It was a fairy" I state flatly.

Eric stiffens at my words and I feel anger through the bond and I grip him tighter, "I think, I hope that it was probably a Water Fae, I don't want to share this with Niall though – just in case!" I say cautiously.

Eric nods, "What else did you learn?" he asks.

I let out a small laugh, "What didn't I learn" I say sarcasm thick in my tone. I sit down on the seat which is still sitting in my garden and pull him down beside me, he wraps his arm around me and I begin to talk recalling what the Shreef told me.

"Well he...she...it, really doesn't like vampires, the only reason it likes me is because it has watched me since I was a small child, and it has been here watching since that time".

Eric's eyebrows raise, "it has bonded with you?" he asks incredulously, "you are truly fortunate to have the protection of the Shreef" he is looking at me with a look of awe.

"It didn't say that" I protest.

Eric shakes his head, "It didn't need to, the fact it has stayed with you for so long and you saw it outside at Merlotte's did you not?" I nod remembering that night in the car park.

"Only an elemental that has bonded with you would show itself to you and not only that, but show itself in a place other than your home" he explains.

I continue to recall the conversation, "It said that it trusts me because even though I am a vampire I am Fae and also other things which I am ignorant of, whatever that means, oh and I am in grave danger, just for a change" I say using Pam's sarcastic comment.

"It said, and this is word for word as it said it, 'there are those who do not like that you have become linked with the Vampire, and those who fear you for what you have become as a result and what you are still to become, your instincts are correct everything you have been experiencing is linked tenuously and loosely by fate but your joining with the vampire has brought together many who would never normally cross paths and ally with each other and for others to revisit their long lost heritage'" I stop and look up at Eric. "So what do you make of that?" I ask eventually, as Eric sits saying nothing and looking a little stunned at what I have just told him.

"I have no idea what to make of that, it said a lot but it all appeared to be in riddles did it say anything else?" he asks.

I nod, "It started off by asking me if I trusted you I said I did and it said that it didn't, it went on to say that I had trusted Bill and that trust had been misplaced, so I told it that you and Karin had taken care of that oversight" I turn to him and grip his hand tightly. "I do trust you Eric" I whisper.

"I know, you didn't always trust me, but I know that you do now, and I swear I will never give you cause to doubt the trust you placed in me," he growls in my ear and he pulls me close.

I moan as his words affect me. In a moment he has surrounded me and is kissing and running his hands all over me.

I realise what is happening, "Eric...stop not here, let's go home," I say and try to push him away. He pauses and growls then in an instant we are in the air heading back to Shreveport.

When we land in the garden, I see Karin walking around inside the kitchen, I run in and she glances up at me, she is splattered with blood and her clothes have a few tears.

"Good hunt?" I ask wryly, taking in her appearance and she beams at me.

"Oh yes it was an excellent hunt, I love it when they make me work for it, it feels more satisfying when their end finally occurs" she replies, she pauses and then seems to realise that we have also been out, "Where have you two been?" she asks.

"Bon Temps, Sookie has been talking with the Shreef and we have new information, we will discuss it later" Eric says as he strides in behind me, he doesn't stop to say more though, he grabs my arm and pulls me up into his body and then at vampire speed takes us to the upstairs bedroom.

We are drawn from our post-coital bliss by Karin's shout, "When you two have finished fucking, everyone is here to find out what you have learnt, and Desmond is also here and wants to speak with you."

I groan with embarrassment but Eric just chuckles. Stretching and pulling away from me he quickly dresses and I pull my clothes back on. Eric grabs my hand and as we go to leave the room I hear a loud pop, but it takes me a second to realise that pop was made by me, the next thing I know I am standing in the kitchen, with Eric clinging to me and Thalia, Pam and Karin are crouching in defensive postures and hissing loudly they quickly stop when they realise it is us, which might have something to do with me screaming 'don't attack, it's us' at the top of my voice.

"Lover, what did you just do?" Eric asks looking confused and wary.

I shrug, "I have no idea," I say and look towards Mr Cataliades for some kind of explanation.

He laughs and steps closer, "Your wife just teleported you," he says to Eric, then he turns to me, "Sookie you just moved the way the Fae move around in this realm, did you hear the popping sound you made when you moved, did it not remind you of Niall's visits?"

"How? I just thought we needed to come downstairs and the next minute I was here" I look around me.

"And that is how you teleport, you concentrate on where you want to be and you just go, but the fact you were able to transport Eric as well on your first try is very impressive," he says.

"It must be her increased Fae spark – Niall said she could start to display Fae abilities," Pam says.

I turn towards Eric, "This is why they want me dead, why they didn't want you to turn me because they knew when you did it would make me stronger and more powerful."

Eric says nothing but shepherds us towards the large dining table, I had wondered previously why a vampire would have a dining table when they don't eat, but now I see it is a good place to hold meetings.

When everyone is seated and looking at us expectantly I reach out and grip Eric's hand.

"First of all I want to say sorry for startling y'all, I had no idea that was going to happen."

Pam laughs, "We were slightly concerned, a fairy popping into a vampires home isn't usual, but thankfully, you shrieking like a banshee soon informed us who it was."

I ignore that comment and continue with telling everyone about what the Shreef told me and after I have recounted the conversation there is an eerie silence around the table.

"A fairy" Mr Cataliades says sadly.

"I was thinking possibly a Water Fae" I offer.

"Possible" Mr Cataliades says in agreement.

A sudden thought crosses my mind, "Erm...just a thought", I pause as I carefully consider how to word this as I don't want Mr Cataliades to know I can hear fairies now in case it gets back to Niall and he has something to do with this, but I need this answering.

"Erm, well it's just that fairies don't feel like holes, but when I got whoever that was in the woods I definitely got a hole" I say.

This seems to stump everyone and the silence spreads out, with nobody able to give a reasonable explanation.

"The main point we need to consider here is that everything that is happening is linked in some way and the same people are involved," Eric says briskly changing the subject.

Mr Cataliades leans forward, "I may be able to offer some information which now confirms that."

Everyone turns towards him, "Darren is now dead, I ended his life after I discovered his links to those who mean you harm and I have learnt a number of things from his death."

I wonder what that means and Eric must feel my confusion through the bond, as he interrupts, "What Desmond means is, when a demon of any type is killed by another demon the victor gets a brief replay of the activities of the dead demon for a period of time prior to their demise, is this not correct Desmond?" Eric looks toward Mr Cataliades who nods.

"This is correct, no sound just visuals of interactions," he says.

"And?" I ask impatiently.

"Our friend Darren met with Bill _and_ Ocella on numerous occasions in the final months of his existence, and it appears he has been following your progress and gleaning information about you from myself for many years" Mr Cataliades looks apologetically at me as he says this.

I check his mind and he is incredibly angry at what he has discovered about Darren, he basically used Mr Cataliades to get information on me and pass it on to Bill and Ocella.

I voice what I have heard, "So he spent his time working for you as a cover to get information on me and pass it to Bill and Ocella?" I ask.

Mr Cataliades nods, "I believe that is correct, from what I could determine he was approached by Bill to gain information on you when he was commanded by Sophie Ann to acquire you, it wasn't hard for him to get it, I have all information on you on a secure magical orb which I considered impenetrable, as only demons can access the information stored on it, but I placed faith in the wrong demon, but I have rectified that mistake. How he became involved with Ocella is more of a mystery though" he pauses.

"Perhaps, Bill put him in touch with him?" I offer.

"Plausible," Mr Cataliades says.

"Well that explains one link but why would he allow Sookie to hear the warning about Ocella if he was working with him?" Eric asks.

"Because perhaps maybe Ocella wanted us to know, he thought I was a human and he wanted to frighten me by knowing he was coming for me, and he was arrogant enough to believe that knowing he was coming for me would prevent anything further happening between Eric and me, he thought Eric would come into line and leave me and he wanted to punish Eric for his association and love for me" I say, but as I am saying it something doesn't feel right about that explanation and I don't really believe it, there is something more, something we are missing.

There are a number of nods around the table, but I am not happy with what I have just said and I say as much, "But I think there is much more to this than just a sulky grandsire who wanted to flex his muscles and try to control those around him" I say.

"I agree there is much more," Eric says thoughtfully.


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

"So, what do we do now?" Pam asks, looking at everyone in turn.

"Well, Eric still needs to call Niall, how we are going to do this though I have no idea" I take a shot look at Mr Cataliades before I continue, "I mean Niall needs to know that this was a fairy, but we don't know how involved Niall is, and we don't want to send any warning to whoever or whatever it is that we are on to them".

There is general murmuring and nodding, but Mr Cataliades looks shocked realising what I am implying, "Sookie your great grandfather insisted that he had no knowledge of the impersonator, Niall has his faults but he cannot lie," Mr Cataliades says earnestly.

I hold up my hand, "He said, and his exact words were '_I assure you I had nothing to do with the events of last night'_ we took that to mean he literally had no knowledge, but it could...and I'm not accusing anyone of anything here, it could just mean he had nothing to do with it personally, as in he wasn't the fairy in the woods that night impersonating Ocella". I stop and realisation dawns on the faces of everyone. The Fae have long since had a reputation for being tricky, wording things so they are the truth but not the entire truth.

Mr Cataliades sits back in his seat, "I really don't believe your grandfather would have anything to do with it Sookie, he even gave your union his blessing and he attended your wedding ceremony, and asked you to wear the Brigant crown." He glances at Eric as he says this and Eric looks thoughtful at that remark.

I hold up my hands, "Look I don't know, we are grasping at straws here, but I just don't want to discount anything, and as I said I'm not accusing anyone of anything" I pause as I hear Eric's phone ringing.

Everyone turns to him as he answers, "Good evening Niall we were just talking about you" he says coldly.

I can hear Niall's words come through the phone as I'm sure everyone else can as well.

"I am coming to see you this night Vampire, I will be arriving shortly" he says and then simply hangs up, and I shake my head at his attitude, but I realise why he called, he was warning us of his arrival and after my little episode of appearing in front of everyone and their reaction, if he showed up unexpectedly at a vampires home it probably wouldn't end well.

A moment later is the familiar popping sound and everyone turns to look towards where it came from.

"Good Evening Vampire," Niall says coldly to Eric and then he turns to me and smiles widely, "Sookie my dear" he adds in a much softer warmer voice.

This immediately irritates me, along with the fact he has totally ignored every other vampire in this room and Mr Cataliades, and I stand up and stare at him.

"Good Evening great grandfather, you seem to manage to remember my name, my husband also has a name and it's not 'vampire', I would ask you to remember that you are in our home and to give my husband the respect he is entitled to in his own home, and there are others present who you seem to have not yet greeted," Eric reaches for me and pulls me towards him.

"Sookie" he warns.

Everyone looks towards Niall who looks like he is going to blow a gasket, anger is flashing in his eyes, I dip into his mind and he is furious that I spoke to him in such a manner, which makes me even angrier.

"Suck it up Niall you don't insult people in their own homes!" I snap. I realise what I have done as soon as the words leave my mouth, so I quickly try to cover my error. "You look so pissed at this moment and you have no right to be," I add. Yeah, that sounded ok.

Niall schools his face into a more benign look and turns towards Eric and nods his head, it's not quite a bow but I never expected him to do that, "My apologies va...Eric, thank you for allowing me into your home" he turns towards the others and gives them a curt nod of greeting.

I glare at him, even in his apology he nearly called Eric, vampire again, and his thoughts are not in line with what is coming out of his mouth, this sets me on edge and makes me trust him even less.

"You are welcome," Eric says evenly but I detect the very slight edge in his tone which says watch yourself. Eric reaches for my hand and smiles at me.

"Sookie come and sit by me and let us hear what your great grandfather has to say". I move my chair closer to Eric and sit down and he squeezes my hand gently.

I glance around the table, Pam is openly grinning at me, Karin looks pleased and Thalia is giving me an odd look which I can't quite place.

I am still glaring at Niall as Eric gestures to the empty seat across from him, "Please sit down Niall."

Niall sits down and I find it amusing to note that he is sitting between Pam and Karin.

"Right then, do you have information for us?" Pam asks moving slightly so she is looking at the fairy seated beside her.

Niall nods, "I have, my investigations in the Faery have revealed that it was a member of the Water Fae who appeared to participate in this deception, the name of the fairy in question is Custis he is in the direct bloodline of Breandan the leader of the Water Fae, and therefore also of my blood".

I go over his words carefully looking for loopholes and I get stuck on the word 'appeared' meaning not totally sure but probably, I don't trust Niall at all now and I delve into his head once more, his thoughts are disjointed like the last time I listened to him so I ask questions to see what his corresponding thoughts are when he answers.

"Are you completely certain it is this Custis?" I ask.

"No" Niall replies and I immediately get activity suggesting that he is telling the truth and that he does know who it really is, this is all I need to know and I dig deeper.

"Why would a fairy impersonate a vampire?" I ask.

"I cannot tell you why" Niall says, and that right there is the biggest single red flag he could have sent, to start with it could be interpreted as he cannot tell me why because he doesn't know, but as I have established he does seem to know and this puts me on my guard.

I listen to his thoughts and get a brief snippet of something jumbled involving the zombies, I grip Eric's hand and he sends me a questioning emotion through the bond, I send him a blast of cynicism and fix my eyes on Niall. Eric watches me carefully and I know he has gotten what I am trying to tell him as he is now on alert and listening carefully to our conversation.

"Are you going to deal with him accordingly?" I ask vaguely, I deliberately made this question ambiguous so that I could see how he answered and what I got from his mind that differed from the answer he gives me.

"I will endeavour to see the correct parties are brought to justice," he says with another nod but this is yet another red flag for me, I listen inside his head and am shocked to hear him think about Maximillian and the zombies and I grip Eric's hand even tighter at this discovery but years of practice keeping my face straight and not reacting to things that I have heard kick in and I smile at Niall.

Eric sees it and frowns and I fear that it is my crazy Sookie smile, a little too bright and big.

"Thank you, Niall," I say politely and Niall stands up.

"I will take my leave now, thank you for allowing me in your home...Eric" I can see him almost choke on Eric's name as he says it, a moment later there is a pop and he is gone.

Eric turns to me, "what exactly happened there, lover?"

"He was lying through his teeth," I say bluntly.

Mr Cataliades gasps in shock at my words and I turn to him, "Can I trust you Mr Cataliades, I mean really trust you?" I listen to his thoughts as he gives his verbal reply.

"Of course you can," he says, and in his head, he is wondering what Niall has done, and that he would keep his oath to Fintan to protect me at all costs, I am satisfied with everything that I have heard and I nod.

"I don't think it was Custis, or it wasn't entirely all about Custis, he is a scapegoat of some description Niall said it 'appeared' to be him, which first set alarm bells ringing and then he admitted he wasn't sure, he wasn't sure because I don't think it was him, the thoughts were jumbled but he was thinking about the Zombies, then after I asked him if he would deal with the people responsible and he said _I will endeavour to see the correct parties are brought to justice_, I listened again and once again I got a clear thought of the zombies and in particular Maximillian" I stop speaking and look around.

"You can hear fairies thoughts?" Mr Cataliades says incredulously and I nod.

"Not well, just snippets," I say with a shrug.

"That would be a side effect from the masking spell Niall uses to cloak his scent if you were confronted with an unmasked fairy you would probably hear them clearly" Mr Cataliades confirms.

I glance at Eric, we had already assumed that, and it is nice to be proved right.

"So that proves that the being in the woods wasn't a fairy as all I got was a hole," as I say that, the answer comes to me in an instant, "it was a zombie" I blurt out. I quickly pull myself together, "What do the zombies have to do with the fairies?" I ask as I remember the Shreef being adamant that it was a fairy.

Mr Cataliades sighs, "Nothing generally speaking, but Max is...was a Halfling and his father was a fairy who also fathered the full fairy, Custis, and who is also a cousin of Breandan on Breandan's mother's side."

"Oh, I see," I say as everything falls into place and I sit back. "But what does all this have to do with me and Eric?" I add.

"I have no idea," Mr Cataliades says.

"Well now it appears we have some idea who we are dealing with, the question now is why?" Karin states.

The silence is broken by the sound of a phone ringing, "That is your phone lover" Eric states and goes to find my phone.

He quickly returns talking to whoever is calling, "She is here" he says and hands the phone to me, I take it looking at Eric questioningly. "Your brother," he says shortly.

"Hi, Jason what's up?" I ask.

"Sookie, Calvin told me to call you, to let the vamps know what's happening" Jason sounds jittery and worried and he is talking loudly and fast.

"Calm down Jason now slowly what's happening?" I soothe.

I hear a sigh, "Alcide called Calvin, the pack were out hunting and they noticed a large amount of activity in the area north of Shreveport, it looks like a bunch of zombies are gathering, I have no idea what that means, but Alcide was pretty spooked by it and I've never seen Calvin so worried either, he said Zombies don't gather on mass like how Alcide described unless they are going on a rampage, Calvin also said they haven't done that in living memory, so he doesn't know what's got them stirred up," I interrupt him at this point.

I am fairly certain the vampires in the room have heard every word but to be sure I want to get Jason to repeat this, as it sounds important, "Jason I'm going to put you on speaker, can you repeat what you have just told me" I press the speaker button, "Go ahead" I prompt.

Jason quickly repeats what he has just told me and everyone in the room listens intently. "Calvin said you vamps need to know, along with the other Supes of the area, he said to tell you Alcide is going to call you at some point as he thinks we should all get together to discuss what is going on and what we are going to do about it".

"Thank you for telling us Jason," I say.

"No problem, I'll talk to you soon ok?" he says.

"I'd like that" I whisper, "Goodnight" I add.

"Night, Sookie," he says and with that, the line goes dead.

"The last time the Zombies went on a rampage was 1903, Maximillian had grandiose ideas of world domination," Eric says.

I look carefully at him, "Perhaps he thinks it's time for another attempt."

"Possibly, maybe it could be a combination of many different things" he replies looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

"You...you mean it could have something to do with us?!" I splutter.

Eric shrugs but doesn't say anything.

"What do we do now then?" Pam asks.

I start putting things together in my mind, "The Shreef told me that everything was linked, and we are overlooking one vital source of possible information" I say.

Everyone stares at me questioningly.

"What would that be lover?" Eric asks.

I turn to face him, "Bill Compton" I state.

"But Bill is finally dead" Karin states looking at me as though I am stupid.

I nod, "I know, I was there, but Mr Cataliades says Darren the Empath demon had links with Ocella _and _Bill, so I think we should search Bills home to see if he left anything which could give us some clue, information which could help us link all these activities together".

There are a general murmuring and nodding of heads. "We will go there tomorrow and conduct a thorough search," Eric says.

Our attention is drawn to a sharp rapping on the back door, everyone is on alert and I quickly scan the area outside, what I get makes me take an unnecessary deep breath. I have never experienced brainwaves like it.

"What the hell is that?" I mutter.

Eric stares at me, "What do you hear lover?"

I look at him, "I have no idea, it's like nothing I have ever heard or felt before, it's like a hole of a vampire, but right in the centre of that hole is something but it's more of a picture than thoughts" I concentrate harder.

"Flames, fire, I see flames and fire within a vampire hole" I say, this seems to spook everyone and there is general unrest until an English accented male voice calls out.

"ERIC I KNOW YOU ARE IN THERE, OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!"

I look at Eric, who has thrown his head back and is roaring with laughter, Pam and Karin have both relaxed and are both now smiling, so it seems they know who this stranger is. Even Mr Cataliades seems more at ease; he is chucking and shaking his head.

He looks at Eric, "I think you had better go and let him in."

Eric goes to the door and I hear his warm greeting, curiously I follow him.

I watch as I see Eric embracing a huge mountain of a man, he is actually embracing him, I am shocked at the sight as this is unusual in itself, vampires are not known for being touchy feely, and Eric certainly doesn't hug people other than me. I am speechless, Eric is tall, very tall, but this man dwarfs Eric with his size, I estimate him being around 7 foot tall and his broad shoulders stretching the skin tight t-shirt he is wearing hint at the muscular body he has, he has hair as long as Eric's but where Eric's is blond, this man has flaming red hair, and it is tied back in a simple ponytail, he pushes Eric away and looks straight at me, a smile filling his face, he has the most amazing green eyes, a bright clear emerald colour and a small flaming red goatee beard.

"So you are the one who has brought the great Viking to his knees" he states, he turns back to Eric, "I can see the appeal, my friend, she is beautiful."

Eric growls, "And she is mine."

The man laughs and strides towards me both his hands outstretched, "I am so pleased to meet you at last."

I warily hold out a hand and both of his grasp mine. His hands feel hot, really hot.

"What are you?" I blurt out before I can stop myself, pulling myself from his grasp.

The man laughs and his eyes sparkle. "I am Lucien, I have known Eric for nearly...oh too fucking long!" he says and waves his hand dismissively.

Eric comes up beside me and wraps his arm around me, "Lucien is an old friend of mine, we go back a long way, and he is totally unique, a species in his own right, one of a kind."

"Oh stop you'll make me blush!" the man says in such a camp voice which makes me smile. He turns to me once more. "He's right, I'm the only one there are no more in the world like me," he says, I detect a hint of sadness in his voice as he says this.

"And one of you is more than enough. The world couldn't cope with anymore like you!" I turn to see Mr Cataliades standing in the doorway, "Lucien how are you my boy?" he adds kindly.

"Des my man!" Lucien exclaims and strides towards the demon, "high five dude" he states holding up his shovel sized hand.

Mr Cataliades laughs, "Come on Des don't leave me hanging" Lucien persists, and I watch as Mr Cataliades raises his hand and he slaps Lucien's raised palm.

Lucien turns to face me once more, and looks at me carefully, "I could ask you the same thing little lady, what are you, you look like a vampire and I smell this joker all over you which tells me he is your Sire but there is much more about you than that?"

I glance at Eric who wraps his arm around me, "she has the essential spark of the Fae, her great grandfather is Niall Brigant" he says.

Lucien's eyes widen "and you are still alive my friend?!"

Eric nods, "Niall has been unusually reasonable about everything, but after certain things my wife has discovered I fear appearances could be deceptive."

Lucien is still staring at me, "There is more, I sense her spark, which has grown powerful and strong but there is something more, I can't put my finger on it he steps closer and sniffs me, then he steps back in shock, "Mori" he mutters and his head whips around to Mr Cataliades.

"Mori Demon," he says again, Mr Cataliades nods, "that is my fault" he states. "I gave her grandmother my blood when she was pregnant with Sookie's father and bestowed a demon protection blessing on the line, I did this as a favour for my friend Fintan who was Sookie's grandfather."

Lucien nods then he grips my chin and stares into my eyes, I take a moment to really look at his eyes, the bright clear green is breathtaking but then I see more, there are gold flecks in the green.

"Telepath" Lucien states, "and some newer gifts which are in their infancy, how long is it since you turned her?" he asks glancing at Eric.

"Less than a week" Eric states.

Lucien nods, "She is going to be powerful, more powerful than any of you could ever have realised, no wonder I was drawn here, she is like me, a species in her own right," he says.

"As far as I can determine, her spark enables her to teleport and the gift of mimicry is growing, as is weather manipulation she should soon be able to impersonate others after meeting them and command the weather at will. Her telepathy is slowly evolving, she will eventually be able to read everyone, and she possesses other demon traits, she will be an instinctive warrior, tell me can you fireball?"

I stare at him blankly my mind reeling from everything he has just said to me, the words of the Shreef coming back to me about things I am ignorant of.

Mr Cataliades steps forward, "She has never shown the aptitude, she has a clear mind with a talent for unravelling puzzles and logically putting the facts together to establish the truth, the fact we know as much as we do about the events which are currently happening, is down to Sookie's deductions and instincts".

"What does he mean can I fireball?" I ask Mr Cataliades.

He smiles at me and holds up his hand, "He means can you do this."

I watch as a small flame appears in his palm, it twists and bends and it gradually grows until it is flaming ball of fire."

Mr Cataliades steps to the back door opening it and flicks his wrist the ball of fire looks as though it has been thrown.

Mr Cataliades turns towards Eric, "I apologise Eric, I hit your tree, it will survive but it will bear the scars of that fireball."

Eric waves his hand but has his eyes fixed on me. "Can you do that Sookie?"

I shake my head, "No I don't think so" I hold up my hand, Lucien touches it.

"You can, you just don't know how to, take every bit of anger and negativity inside and concentrate it in the palm of your hand."

I nervously stare at my hand and concentrate, sure enough, a moment later a small flame appears but it quickly fades and vanishes.

"For a first attempt that was good" Lucien praises and pats my arm.

"You didn't answer my question, you seem to know everything about me now, but I still have no idea what you are despite asking you several times?" I ask irritably.

Lucien smiles, "I am the perfect storm, the combination of events brought together to create something unique, much like you, you were a human/fairy hybrid, but the Mori Demon blessing made things interesting and now that Eric has sunk his fangs into you and added Vampire into the mix, well he has created a monster!"

I feel my anger rising, "I am not a monster" I snarl my fangs descending.

Lucien smiles, "No you're not, I apologise for my poor choice of words and attempt at humour, you are unique and incredibly special," he says.

"You still haven't answered my question" I spit losing patience with this arrogant man.

Lucien smiles at me again, "My great-grandfather Malachy was a full blooded Mori Demon like Des, who against all the odds fell in love with Aine who was a fairy – a fairy of the Sky Fae royalty a union which resulted in my grandmother Mireya, she grew up and fell in love with Iniko who was a Shifter – a true Shifter.

"Not an annimorphus Shifter?" I ask. Lucien stares at me in surprise.

"My best friend is a Shifter" I explain.

He nods, "Yes, a true Shifter, anyway, my grandparents did the nasty and produced my father who was, against all the odds with the mish-mash of bloodlines a true Shifter as well, but with much more than a little added value, he displayed powers of his fairy and demon heritage but the dominating power for him was the Shifter blood, he met my mother who is a vampire, now all those different bloodlines came together and a miracle happened, as you know vampires can't reproduce, but my mother did and the result was me, and as such I am pretty unique I'm a Shifter but I'm not a true Shifter I can turn into only one creature but neither am I an annimorphus" I stare at him in confusion.

"Well, what do you turn into then?" I ask.

"A dragon" he replies as though it is the most normal thing in the world.

"A dragon?!" I repeat.

He grins at me, "Yep mythical creature who can fly and cause mayhem with one fire-breathing breath."

"Wow," I say, "I'd love to see that" I add.

Lucien grins, "Well who am I to deny you the pleasure of that, let's step outside and I'll demonstrate, I don't think Eric would appreciate me shifting here in his kitchen as the house wouldn't survive it!"

We all troop outside and Karin and Pam join me, "He is magnificent in dragon form" Pam says and Karin whispers in my ear.

"He is also the world's biggest show off in dragon form."

"I heard that!" Lucien calls over his shoulder.

"You were meant to" Karin retorts, but she has a wide grin on her face as she says it.

I watch as Lucien struts to the middle of the garden and glances around, "This should be enough space, but if I break or burn anything I apologise in advance."

With that, he calmly divests himself of all his clothes and falls into a crouch, his body is as muscular and built as I had imagined and the sheer unbelievable size of him is breathtaking. I watch as he arches his back and groans loudly, all the veins on his neck are bulging and his muscles are flexing and moving as his body starts to change, and as I watch his back lengthens and leathery wings start to appear, his skin starts to take on a scaly texture and is turning a deep crimson colour, I have seen wolves and panthers change and I've seen Sam shift numerous times, the air always shimmers around the Shifter and Weres when they turn but nothing prepares me for what happens next, a huge fireball appears and surrounds and engulfs Lucien as he transforms into a dragon and he grows rapidly, I step back, he is now the size of the house and still growing, eventually the flames vanish and he looks at me flapping his wings.

_Can you hear me? _I gasp as I realise I can hear him speaking to me in my head.

"I can hear his voice in my head, he is speaking to me – like Sophie Ann and Andre did" I exclaim.

_Don't be afraid it's the bloodlines we share, we both have Mori Demon, fairy and vampire blood it's a potent combination, this is why I came, I was drawn here to you._

Eric is watching carefully, I quickly tell him what Lucien has just told me and he nods before looking at Lucien once more.

"She is mine, Lucien" he growls.

The dragon bows his head to Eric as if he is acknowledging that, _Tell him to cool his jets and stop being so damn jealous, he's my friend and I have no intention of muscling in on his woman._

I let out a small laugh as I grip Eric's hand, "He said cool your jets and stop being so damn jealous, he has no intention on muscling in on me because he is your friend."

Eric's mouth twitches with a reluctant smile and he nods at the dragon.

A moment later there are more flames and the dragon has gone and Lucien stands and after grinning and winking at me which earns him another growl from Eric, he pulls his clothes back on.

"You say you were drawn here, you were drawn here because of me?" I ask.

Lucien nods, "Yes it was irresistible that and the strange things I have sensed happening recently, someone is playing silly buggers and messing with things that don't concern them and it has created an imbalance between the supernatural world and human world, the magic causing this imbalance seems to be emanating from this area" he says.

"The zombies," I say looking up at Eric.

He nods in agreement, and then looks at Lucien, "I think you should come inside my friend and we will share what we know, we have been aware of this imbalance for a while and have been trying to figure out what it could mean. Let us share information and we may be able to figure out what is going on and put a stop to it".

Lucien nods, "Sound good, after you," he says gesturing back at the house, and silently we all troop back inside.


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

"So there you have it," I say after we have gone through everything we know about all that has been happening.

I look at Lucien carefully, something is nagging at me so I go through everything that he has said since he arrived in my mind. I am distracted momentarily though when he speaks.

"Bloody hell, someone has got their knickers in a twist about something to cause all that, and you believe it is all related and linked?" he asks looking at Eric.

Eric nods, "Sookie had it confirmed when she spoke with the Shreef."

Lucien laughs, "That bit still blows my mind, that she has a Shreef looking out for her."

"It didn't help my grandmother when she was murdered, and it didn't help me when I was made a fool of by Bill Compton," I say sadly.

Lucien's smile slips a little, "I have known loss in my life but I have never been used or deceived by another that must have been a terrible discovery, I'll come with you to this Bill Compton's place tomorrow and help you search".

I nod but I am still trying to figure out what is bugging me about him, then it hits me I stare at Lucien my mouth open, "Wait...you said your great grandmother was a fairy with the blood of sky Fae royalty, that means...that means we are related!" I squeak.

Lucien thinks about that, "Yeah I guess we are" he says.

Something else comes to me and it's like a light bulb has switched on in my head, "When were you born Lucien, you said you had known Eric for too long?"

"1903, it's not that long by his standards" he says nodding towards Eric "but it's a bloody long time for me, I have to say though it's not known how long I will exist or if I am immortal, but I seemed to mature to a certain age and then stopped, I first met Eric when I was a teenager and starting to discover what I was, he was a good friend to me" he says and smiles kindly at my husband.

I slap my hand on the table, which makes everyone turn and stare at me in surprise, "1903, the last time the Zombies went on a rampage when a hybrid of epic proportions was born, something unique and powerful" I stop and wait for everyone to catch up.

"Now I have become a vampire, and according to Lucien I am something special, now I don't want to brag or anything, but what if the reason the Zombies are amassing now has something to do with that, they think I'm something special and they don't like it?"

Everyone catches on to what I am saying and I see the moment they all realise, as everyone has the same expression on their faces, "It is certainly a compelling thought" Eric agrees.

We sit chatting and eventually Mr Cataliades goes to leave, "It is good to see you again Lucien," he says warmly and Lucien smiles at him.

"Likewise," he says with a grin.

Pam also leaves as it is getting close to dawn and Karin excuses herself, leaving just me, Eric and Lucien.

"I assume as you are not leaving, you are expecting to stay here?" Eric says his eyebrows raised and the amusement is clear in his tone.

Lucien nods, "Well, surely you can find me a small corner in this huge place" he retorts.

Eric's mouth twitches again. "I should say no, after you have spent the night flirting with my wife" he growls.

"Hey, she's family I'm not some kind of sicko," Lucien says with mock hurt and insulted tone. He turns to me, "What do you see in this guy?" he asks.

I laugh and reach for Eric, "More than you could ever possibly realise," I say giving my husband a scorching look.

Eric shows Lucien to one of the upstairs guest rooms and he chooses the one I used to use when I stayed here with Eric previously. Then grasping my hand he leads me back downstairs so we can go into our resting place.

Once we are safely inside I turn to Eric, "I loved seeing you with him, you bounce off one another, the way you both behaved it was almost...human."

Eric smiles, "I will take that as a compliment, even though I find the idea of behaving like a human insulting, I've known him since he was born, his family fought for him to survive and he is one of the genuine good guys."

"He said he didn't meet you till he was a teenager?" I say as I remember Lucien's words from before.

Eric nods, "That was when I made myself known to him, but I had watched him grow up right from the beginning, I witnessed his birth, as I had volunteered along with a few others of our kind to protect him and his family and I had watched over him nightly from then."

I look at him questioningly, willing him to say more, we undress and climb into bed, Eric pulls me close.

"Niall wasn't happy to say the very least when his daughter, who was Lucien's great grandmother mated with a Mori Demon, he was totally mortified that his full blooded Fae daughter Aine had chosen a dirty warrior demon for a mate rather than a nice suitable full blooded male fairy to continue the royal bloodline. The way he saw it there would be no children as demon and fairy blood is just too incompatible, he flew into a vicious rage, I was there when he found out about their union, as you know I have known Niall for centuries, I witnessed his hatred, he sent an army of Fae to destroy them both, but they failed, Lucien's great grandfather - Malachy was a skilled strategic fighter, he used the weakness of the Fae against them, and with his Mori warrior skills destroyed them all despite being totally outnumbered when they came, it was breathtaking to watch, I witnessed the war as I was in the area at the time. I remember Lucien's grandmother Mireya being born, no-one thought she would survive, the demon and fairy genes are just too different and incompatible, everyone assumed the child would perish as her blood would fight with itself and destroy her, but instead she thrived and despite numerous attempts on her life by Niall, she married the shifter – Iniko, they spent most of their lives in hiding after Niall finally managed to kill Aine, Malachy was away and Niall took his chance and succeeded in his goal" I interrupt him, shocked at what I have heard.

"Wait...Niall killed his own daughter!" I ask incredulously.

Eric nods, "That is correct, I was away at that point in time and unaware of the treachery or I would have warned Malachy." He stops speaking and I go through what he has said up to this point.

"Wait! You knew Niall was angry and wanted to kill Aine – you warned Malachy the first time didn't you? You were there when Niall lost it and you were the one who warned Malachy that Niall and his army were coming for them, which is why he got himself organised and managed to beat them?" I stare at Eric feeling more love for him at this moment than ever before.

Eric nods once curtly, "As your maker, I command you never to repeat that to anyone," he says.

I nod, "I'm not stupid, if Niall discovered that he would want to kill you," I say the thought of Niall killing Eric sends a flood of panic through me and Eric feels it, he reaches for me and gives me comfort. After a moment he continues with his story.

"Malachy was incandescent with rage when he returned home and discovered what had happened, he went out of his mind with grief and he swore revenge and despite the pleading of his daughter he went to the Faery on a one man crusade to kill Niall and avenge his beloved wife. He made it inside but was never seen again, many stories came out that he had caused much destruction and killed many Fae before he perished, but Niall escaped him".

"He went on a suicide mission, he knew he wouldn't survive, but he had to do it" I say quietly more to myself than to Eric, I look up at him and my anger towards Niall increases, "He is nothing but a hypocrite; he hated the fact that his daughter married a demon yet it was ok for him to screw a human woman whilst married to someone else and produce two Halfling sons!"

Eric shrugs and doesn't comment on that, but continues his story, "After Aine and Malachy died, Mireya and Iniko went into hiding so that Niall could not find them, they had the support and protection of the Shifters, and a number of Weres also heard about their plight and stepped forward to help shield them, also they had the assistance of numerous Demons including Desmond's family and they all helped to shield the couple. When their child Darius was born, steps were taken to hide the family from the Fae so that no danger would come to the child, the Demons and Shifters came together and also called on various sympathetic Weres and Vampires to help with this, it was one of those rare moments in history of true inter-species cooperation, I was one who heeded the call as I had watched the family from afar for years and knew the history well, as I had seen all sides and had decided for myself which side was the virtuous. Lucien's father Darius grew up surrounded by a kaleidoscope of different supernatural beings and was raised to be broad minded and to respect all beings, and one of those was Sia, a female vampire who came and stayed to help guard the family, they fell in love and...Well, the unbelievable happened and that annoying arrogant dragon upstairs in the spare room is the miraculous result of that love".

"Are Lucien's parents and grandparents still alive?" I ask warily.

Eric pauses, "Mireya and Iniko were betrayed by a Demon that was supposedly there to protect them, he informed Niall where they were and Niall came and killed them while they slept when he was guarding them, the demon was destroyed when his betrayal was discovered, I believe it was Desmond's great grandfather who completed the execution, Lucien's father is also dead, Darius was killed whilst protecting Sia and Lucien when Lucien was a baby, I was there and fought alongside him against a group of rogue fairies who found the family and tried to take the child, but Sia still walks the earth, she is very rarely seen in public but she lives".

I can't believe that Niall has been so cruel and that viciousness has lasted so many generations. A sudden thought occurs to me.

"Lucien seemed shocked that Niall was so...ok with us," I say.

Eric nods, "It is something that has puzzled me, Niall is very protective of his family line, but there are many differences between your story and Aine's. Aine was a full blooded fairy and Niall's daughter, she was directly in line to the Fae throne and expected to produce more heirs to strengthen the Brigant claim, whereas you are a granddaughter of Niall's bastard Halfling son, which your grandfather Fintan was, despite his status a favoured son of Niall. He, Fintan could do no wrong in his father's eyes, so he was naturally forgiven his indiscretion with your grandmother and his line would be as favoured as Fintan in Niall's eyes as long as they possessed the essential spark – which you did, the other difference is...me, I have known Niall for centuries, and although I didn't agree with all he did, he and I had a good working relationship at points in time over the years, do you remember how Niall approached me to make contact with you?" I nod and wait for him to continue.

"Because I knew of his previous treachery, I refused to help him until I was sure he would not harm you, he found it honourable that I protected you so fiercely, so I was in a more fortunate position than Malachy, to Niall, he was just an unknown Mori demon who appeared and seduced his daughter".

I snuggle closer to Eric, "After hearing all that and knowing that Niall wasn't totally honest when he spoke to us tonight, I can't help wondering if he is behind everything that is happening."

Eric considers that "I have had the same thoughts, but I do not believe he is the being behind the imbalance, yes he has the knowledge to cast such magic but Niall isn't that stupid, he likes the status quo".

We talk a while longer until the pull of the dawn consumes us and we fall into our daytime death.

**oooOOOooo**

After the routine requirements of our rising, which, for Eric means him giving me at least three explosive orgasms before we leave our resting place. After that, we head out to find some food. Eric is astounded with how well I have responded to being a vampire, I pretty much have my hunger and bloodlust under control and every time I complete a successful hunt he almost oozes with pride.

When we get back to the house after our hunt Pam and Karin are there and Lucien is sitting at the table, eating what looks like an autopsy.

Eric stares at him, "What? I need to eat too!" Lucien exclaims somewhat defensively.

"What is that?" I ask politely.

Lucien glances at the raw meat which is dripping blood on the table, "Cow" he says as he tears off more of the meat.

"Don't worry I'll clean up my mess" he adds as he sees the blood dripping from the meat.

I don't ask where he got it from and head to the fridge to dutifully drink my bottle of Trueblood.

Soon we are all heading towards Bon Temps there had been some discussion about how we were going to get there, Eric wanted to fly and as a vampire he could do so without being spotted by humans on the ground, but as I pointed out if Lucien flew chances were people would spot him, as a crimson mythical fire breathing dragon the size of a large house would definitely attract attention, and no matter how broad minded Bon Temps residents were about Weres and Vampires, seeing a dragon flying through the sky would cause too much of a stir. Thankfully they had agreed and so now we are driving along the familiar road to my home town.

When we get there, we park up outside Bill's house and walk up to the front door, Pam and Karin are waiting for us, Pam tries the door and it is obviously locked.

"It's ok Pam I have a..." I don't finish the sentence as the next thing she has kicked open the door, I hold the key up and show it to her, "...key",

She shrugs and walks inside, whilst I stand glaring at her. Eric frowns at what I have just said and I see his disapproving look as he stares at the key in my hand.

"Bill gave it to me right back at the beginning of our relationship so I could drop off his dry cleaning and parcels during the daytime, I hadn't used it for ages, in fact, I forgot I still had it until just now, I never gave it him back when he became an asshole" I explain with a shrug.

"He was always an asshole" Karin spits as she pushes past me and goes inside.

We all go in and I shiver as I remember times I spent here with Bill. Eric immediately wraps his arm around me and sends me love through the bond. Lucien is silent as he looks around the house.

"Erm Sookie you should see this!" comes a call from somewhere down the hallway.

We all follow the voice and find Pam inside a small concealed room staring at a wall filled with pictures of me with a look of shock and disgust on her face, my jaw drops as I take in the creepy room.

All the photographs had been taken covertly as all the images show I am clearly not aware that they were taken, some show me at work, some show me talking with Sam, and other people in the town, there are many of me going about my daily business and a little jolt goes through me as I see some of me talking and laughing with my Gran, I wonder who Bill got to take them as there many which were taken in the daytime.

"Oh my god" I whisper as I see thousands of photographs plastered to the wall.

I feel Eric's rage and he goes to tear them down, I reach out and stop him.

"NO! Stop don't touch anything until we have seen everything, there might be something which could give us information." Eric's hand lowers but the anger is still consuming him.

I stroke his arm and send him love and calmness through the bond. I feel him respond and he returns the love violently to me, nearly taking me off my feet.

I slowly walk around studying each picture, with my perfect recollection and memory now that I am a vampire I can pin point when these were all taken, I point at them.

"All these along here were before I even met Bill, and they cover a three year period, that asshole was watching me for three years before I even met him" I shake my head and carry on looking seeing my life as it was in the series of pictures.

Karin comes up and looks, "So, he was here looking to procure you before the great revelation?"

"It would appear so," Eric says from behind me.

"He came to request permission to settle in the area stating he wanted to regain his roots, this was five years before the great revelation".

"That was a gift for him, he could approach me openly when y'all became public," I say shaking my head.

"Erm guys, look at this" Lucien calls, as we turn to look I hear the sound of breakage and splintering wood, I see he has found a desk and a filing cabinet both of which were obviously locked as they have been torn open which accounts for the noise.

"They were locked so I opened them," he adds as he surveys the debris of the twisted metal of the filing cabinet and the splintered wooden drawer of the desk. I smile and walk over to him; he is delving in the filing cabinet. "Jeez was this guy anal or what?! He has kept a record of everything".

I snort, "Anal does not begin to describe Bill Compton."

Pam joins Lucien and starts to thumb through the files, "Here we are" she says pulling out a thick file and glancing inside.

She too snorts, "He has written notes on the papers inside of the files of others to cross reference, thank you, Bill, you have made this too easy!" She hands me the file, I look at it and see it has my name in Bills handwriting on it, I take it to the small table and grab a chair and sit down. Eric joins me while the others continue to search.

I sift through the file and scan things and quickly discard unimportant or irrelevant papers he has a comprehensive dossier on me detailing my life, my friends and family and my work, there is a lot of correspondence with Sophie Ann where she is asking for updates on Bill's progress and with each letter is an attached copy of Bill's reply, I shake my head at his diligence and attention to detail. Then I see something which catches my eye, I pull a letter out it is dated way before I met Bill and I see it is from Darren the Empath Demon and I begin to read.

_Dear Mr Compton_

_Thank you for your enquiry regarding Miss Sookie Stackhouse of Hummingbird Road, Bon Temps._

_I have been aware of this young lady for many years as I work for her sponsor, the Mori Demon lawyer Mr Desmond Cataliades. From his records, I have noted that he has never had any direct contact with the girl but has watched over her for years from afar. He became her sponsor after the death of her grandfather a Halfling fairy named Fintan Brigant who was his close friend._

_Miss Stackhouse is unaware of her heritage and is completely ignorant of the Supernatural world, she believes she is a human with a disability. The human world has treated her poorly and considers her an outcast and a freak, something different to be ridiculed and shunned. The difference which she considers a disability and has given other humans reason to shun her is that she displays telepathic gifts consistent with Mori Demon Warriors. This gift has nothing to do with her ancestry but was purposely bestowed upon her by my employer._

_Her heritage is complex, her grandmother who she lives with and is her named guardian is mainly human, but she does have very small traces of Shifter blood but she has never manifested any shifter traits from them, so I believe that the link is small and too far back in the ancestry to be significant so for ease of purpose she is merely a human female of advanced age. Miss Stackhouse, on the other hand, is much more, her grandfather was, as I have already stated, Fintan Brigant the bastard Halfling son of Niall Brigant, the crown prince of the Sky Fae, Miss Stackhouse is the only one of the line to possess an essential spark and for someone with such a small link to the blood the spark is strong and reasonably powerful, I put this down to the shifter blood from her grandmothers side and Demon's gift of telepathy._

_Miss Stackhouse has a brother, Jason and he possesses no spark and is entirely human apart from the minute trace of shifter blood inherited from his grandmother's side. There are no other siblings and the two were orphaned at a young age and sent to live with their grandmother. The circumstances of the parent's deaths are hard to establish but it appears that they drowned in a freak storm when their car went off a bridge and ended up in a swollen river. I have good reason to believe this was no accident and was the work of the Water Fae trying to eliminate the Fae/human hybrids from existence._

_I hope this information is useful to you for your purposes. If you require any further information, Please do not hesitate to contact me._

_Yours sincerely_

_Darren Hizel_

I'm stunned, I am totally fixed on his comment about my Gran having Shifter blood.

"I need to talk to Sam," I say turning to Eric, he nods but doesn't say anything. Lucien walks over and looks at me questioningly.

"Are you ok?" he asks.

I hand him the letter and he quickly reads it. "I take it you didn't know of your shifter blood?" he says, he looks up at me, "to be fair I didn't sense any Shifter in you either so the bloodline must be very faint" he adds.

I shake my head as once again the words of the Shreef fill my mind about parts of me that I was ignorant of, "No, I don't think Gran knew either, she was a god fearing human, I want to speak to Sam about this, he will be able to help me find out if this is true."

"Sam?" Lucien asks.

Eric looks up, "Sookie's former employer and best friend, he is an annimorphus shifter."

Lucien looks from Eric to me and back again, "Not...not Sam Merlotte?" he asks.

My head whips up to face him, "Do you know Sam?" I ask.

He grins, "Yeah I know him," he says, he hands me the letter back. "Looks like this gets more interesting by the moment," he says.

I let out a mirthless laugh, "That's the understatement of the year, I thought the only shifter in our family was my brother."

Lucien is immediately interested at that piece of information and I quickly explain about Jason, "Jason is a bitten Were panther, it's a long story, but Calvin Norris is his pack master and I am also good friends with him". Things start to fall into place in my mind how I have been drawn into the supernatural world.

I decide to take home the file and go through it later as there could be more useful information contained inside. Pam checks for one of the cross referenced files where I am mentioned in other places and Karin lets out an exclamation as she pulls another fat file out.

"You did say File O1094?" she asks.

"Yes, why?" Pam confirms.

"That is a file dedicated to correspondence with our dear old grandsire," she says waving the file at me.

Eric sits up straighter and holds out his hand, Karin immediately hands it to him and he opens it, I watch him sift through it and then he stops and pulls out one particular letter, I feel anger building in him as he reads it.

"What is it?" I ask.

"I believe we have found a significant answer," he says coldly.

He hands me the letter and I begin to read it.

_Dear Mr Compton_

_You do not know me but my name is Appius Livius Ocella, I am a third generation Vampire of great standing and it has come to my attention that in recent times you were ordered to procure a human/fairy hybrid with a talent for mind reading for the late queen of Louisiana._

_It has also come to my attention that this thing is now involved with my progeny, who calls himself Eric Northman and is currently residing in Louisiana as your area sheriff. I have been receiving disturbing information about this thing and its influence over my progeny and I believe that it has bewitched him in some capacity and I wish to free him from its control._

_I intend to travel to the area to seek out this thing very soon, I want you to provide me with all the information you have on this creature so I am fully and comprehensively informed when I meet it._

_I expect the information within the week._

_Appius Livius Ocella._

There is a copy of a reply attached to the letter and I quickly read it, Bill responded and told him everything of my heritage and where I lived. He also confirmed my relationship with Eric and expressed his concerns about it. I shake my head sadly. From the date of the letter of Bills response, this was just before Ocella turned up with Alexei.

"If he felt that way why didn't he kill me on sight when he first met me?" I ask.

Eric reaches for me, "Because like all bullies he was a coward, and when he knew you were Niall Brigant's great granddaughter he didn't want risk starting a war with the whole Faery."

I notice a note on the letter detailing a cross reference, "Hey Karin look for file M0001" I call.

Karin nods and immediately starts to search. She quickly finds what she is looking for and drops the file in front of me.

I go cold when I see it, it has the name Maximillian Drevala written on it I point silently and Eric comes closer to look.

"Maximillian" he whispers.

I open the file and soon find what I am looking for and what I find shocks me to the core.

"Oh my god, they were all working together, it's true they were all working together because they were afraid of what I was, everything that is happening is all my fault". I read it again, my vision turning a hazy red as blood tears fill my eyes.

_Dear Mr Compton_

_Thank you for the information you provided after my visit with you. Ocella is recovering well after the attack from his now deceased progeny and he sends you his best wishes for your enquiry about his health._

_Ocella told me that you would be helpful and you knew much about this creature, having had a close relationship with it. What information you provided was already known to me as I have a source close to me who has been researching this creature for me for a while, but I thank you for your cooperation in this matter as I am sure you can appreciate I am concerned that this creature still lives and is clearly influencing and controlling one of your kind, I feel it is my duty as friend to Ocella to rectify this situation forthwith._

_I have many contacts within the Faery who would also be only too pleased to see this creature dealt with._

_As you may be aware I am a very powerful magical creature and am able to provide the correct conditions to make sure this creature ceases to exist._

_Thank you once again and I will be in touch shortly to give you further updates._

_Regards_

_Max_

I read and re read it, something feels wrong about this letter, it is too friendly then it hits me I stab my finger into the paper.

"He is lying" I state.

Eric stares at me and waits for me to elaborate.

"Here, he says Ocella sends him his best wishes, Ocella would never do that, he wouldn't care if Bill asked about him, he would expect it but he wouldn't acknowledge it. Max is manipulating Bill as well as Ocella and he is trying to stir up trouble, we already know he healed Ocella but not properly, he has his own agenda and he is using everyone else's issues to help his own cause, whatever that cause is, but the information Bill provided him with - on me, he already knew, he says so here, but I don't think it was Ocella" I stop and Eric stands and starts to pace.

"_Everything you have been experiencing is linked tenuously and loosely by fate but your joining with the vampire has brought together many who would never normally cross paths and ally with each other and for others to revisit their long lost heritage_," Eric says quoting the words of the Shreef.

I stand and start pacing with him, "Ok then, what do we know? Bill came here to procure me, he got in touch with Darren who told him all about me, Bill then got contacted by Ocella who wanted to know about me, when he found out you were with me, that information also probably got passed on to Maximillian when Ocella was hurt, now did Max approach Ocella or the other way around, either way there was mutual manipulation going on, because Max, as we know, is related to the Fae, which we believe links us to that imposter who appeared in my woods the night I rose us, and who is possibly the same one who tricked Ocella and Thalia's sire, but the Shreef stopped it, but why did Darren stop us from hearing the rest of Gran's warning and what was that warning?"

I hadn't noticed Lucien come over and listen, "Maximillian is the key to all this, I believe if we find out what his plan is, everything else will fall into place," he says.

"But how do we do that?" I ask.

Lucien shrugs, "we need to get someone in on the inside to find out," he says.

"I'll go," Karin says immediately.

Eric shakes his head, "No, thank you, my child, but no, you will be recognised immediately as my progeny."

"Max was a fairy, what if he got a visit from Breandan?" I ask mildly.

Eric stares at me, "What are you suggesting?"

"I know what Breandan looks like, acts like and sounds like, I can't explain how, but I know, dreams and memories and from pictures which Niall showed me to warn me about him, you say I could impersonate him well let me try to," I say.

Eric shakes his head, "No, absolutely not" he growls as he realises what I am proposing.

"I've been told I can control the weather Eric, and you and Karin have trained me to fight and fight well and if I can get that fire thing and my other powers sussed before I even attempt this then I can't see how I could fail," I say confidently.

Lucien looks at me, "It might not have to come to that, your telepathy skills are evolving you are already hearing fairies, if we could just get you close enough we might be able to get information without having to confront the zombies".

"But I can't hear Zombies, and Mr Cataliades said things that I was unable to hear before, I still wouldn't hear" I argue.

Lucien smiles, "That was before you disclosed you could now hear Fairies, you couldn't hear them before could you?" he reasons.

"No, but I still can't hear vampires" I retort.

"Then try to," Lucien says.

"But" I begin.

"No try, you tried the night of your rising and because you heard nothing then you assumed they were still blank to you so you stopped trying, every gift needs practice and time to evolve, so try again Sookie."

I remember that I now have an on/off switch to my telepathy and because I couldn't hear vampires the night of my rising I have never bothered to listen in again.

I pause and Eric speaks carefully, "You heard Ocella, you assumed that was down to the magic he had in his body from his association with Max but what if that was all you and your ability."

"Ok," I say and I close my eyes and concentrate on Pam, Karin and Eric.

_What the hell is she? _I open my eyes and look at Karin, she looks at me a startled expression on her face.

"You thought what the hell is she" I whisper, I close my eyes again and this time I focus on Pam.

_If she can really do this she will be invincible,_ I smile, "thank you, Pam, I appreciate your confidence in me, you just said if she can really do this she will be invincible, well I hope that I have my sisters at my side to help me?" I pause and check for their thoughts on that.

_I would follow her anywhere, _I gasp and my head spins around to face Eric as that was from him.

_I love you so much Sookie, you are incredible more incredible than I ever realised _"did you get that?" he asks out loud and I simply nod.

"I did" I reply.

"Well I think that is pretty conclusive" Lucien states in a satisfied tone.

"I cannot hear you, you are a hole with a picture of fire inside," I say.

Lucien grins, "Yep, I'm unique, I cannot be glamoured by vampires either, I always assumed it was because of my mother."

I shake my head, "No, I could never be glamoured either" I say.

Lucien grins, "Well that is interesting, I guess your mind would look something like mine then to another telepath."

I shake my head, "I knew a telepath once, he and I used to converse in our heads" I say.

Lucien shakes his head, "That's different to reading their mind" he says, "he projected his thoughts at you so you projected yours back, you chose to let him see them, here let me show you."

_Hey, Sookie can you hear me now? _My mouth drops open I clearly got Lucien's voice in my head.

"I...I...you spoke to me in my head," I say and a huge smile fills my face, "Oh my god this is so cool."

Lucien glances at Eric, "If we can get you close enough to hear Max and find out what his angle is on all this."

I nod enthusiastically, "we could combine the two plans in case I get caught, plus if I could talk to you in my head and we could silently converse you could be, like, my link to Eric and keep him informed."

Lucien nods and looks questioningly at Eric.

I watch him think this over, I deliberately stay out of his head while he considers it.

"No, absolutely not, and I will not even begin to consider this, not until we have more information," Eric states stubbornly.

I unnecessarily sigh, but I know there is no arguing with him.

"Ok, let's leave that then for tonight," Lucien says as he looks warily at Eric.


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

It is late when we finally leave Bills house, I am a little pissed at Eric for totally dismissing our idea but I know he has his reasons and those reasons revolve around his love for me and his need to protect me and keep me safe.

I check my watch, Merlotte's will be closed now but I know Sam will still be up and about and I really want to speak to him about my shifter link as I know being a Shifter himself he might be able to help me find out more details about my ancestry.

We all head over to Merlotte's and park around the back, I see a light on in Sam's trailer and I listen and I quickly find him inside. I smile as I hear his now clear thoughts, he is listening to some music and singing along with it.

"He's inside" I whisper.

Pam and Karin have gone but Eric and Lucien nod and hang back as I walk up to the trailer, I can now hear Sam happily singing and not just impressions of it from his thoughts, I pause a moment and then knock, my smile widens as I hear Sam stop singing and footsteps come towards the door.

The door opens and the song he was singing to drifts out "Hi Sam, I'm sorry to call so late but I was wondering if I could talk to you?" I say.

He stares at me in surprise, "Sookie! Is everything ok?" he asks a slightly worried expression on his face. He holds the door open and invites me in.

"Everything is fine" I assure him as I step into his trailer.

"How are you Cher?" he asks warmly. He quickly moves some magazines and gestures to the chair for me to sit down.

"I'm good" I reply as I lower myself down, "I have a reason for being here tonight, well two actually the first one is...I have a big favour to ask of you, I have discovered something about my heritage tonight, I found something which claimed that my Gran had a bit of shifter blood in her, not enough for her to be a shifter but a trace all the same, and I was wondering if you could help me find out more about that, and if it's true, and if it is where it came from? I remember you telling me about some kind of library you guys had and I thought that there might be something there which could point me in the right direction?" I pause and wait for his response.

He nods firmly, "Of course I will," he says without a moment's consideration.

"My other reason for being here is, I have someone staying with us at the moment who knows you and would like to see you," I say.

In my head I send a message to Lucien, '_Ok come on over'_ A moment later there is a knock at the door and Sam shoots a nervous look at me.

"That's him now," I say as I smile at Sam reassuringly and then stand and walk over to the door and open it. Sam's eyes widen and then bulge and his jaw drops as he sees Lucien and then he quickly shoots a glance at Eric who is also standing there.

"Lucien? Lucien is that really you?" he asks and strides forward a beaming grin on his face.

There is a lot of back slapping and hugging and Sam immediately invites Lucien in, grabbing his arm and pulling him forward, I watch as he squeezes through the small doorway and bends to avoid hitting the roof of Sam's trailer. He literally fills the small area and I giggle.

Eric is waiting outside and Sam seems to remember him. "Eric, do you want to come in?" he asks stiffly, Eric nods and steps inside.

I immediately go to my husband and he wraps his arm around me.

Sam and Lucien are talking nineteen to the dozen and Eric and I are forgotten as the two old friends catch up.

Sam suddenly remembers us and smiles at me, "Sorry, I'm ignoring you Cher" he glances once more at Eric "Sorry" he murmurs to him, then returning his attention back to me he smiles at me again "I'll do all I can to help you find out about your heritage" he says.

Lucien leans forward, "We were also wondering if you could help us out with a couple of other things."

Sam looks at Lucien questioningly and I feel Eric becoming more aware as he says this, and I realise that Eric and Lucien had obviously arranged this between them whilst they waited outside. Lucien defers to Eric and Sam looks across at my husband, waiting for him to speak.

Eric moves closer and proceeds to tell Sam everything we have discovered since they last spoke about the imbalance and what we now know, Lucien fills in gaps and when the story is told Sam just gapes at us all.

"So let's get this straight, you want me to contact Alcide and Calvin and tell them everything that you have told me and inform them that you are going call a meeting and you are hoping that they will ally themselves with you in the event that Maximillian does something stupid, even though you are not totally sure what he is doing or what you are going to do to stop him if he does do something?" he says.

Lucien nods, "That sounds about right, and that is why we thought it would sound better coming from you" he says.

Sam acknowledges that fact with a shrug, "True" he mutters.

I look from Sam to Lucien and back again, "How do you two know each other?" I ask.

Lucien smiles, "we are related, my grandfather Iniko had a twin brother Ika who was also a true shifter, his grandson was Sam's father so there is an extra generation separating us in Sam's line but the link is still true.

I stare at Sam, "are all Supes related in one way or another? I discovered that Lucien and I are related through the fairy line in his and my family; his great grandmother was Niall's daughter".

To my great surprise, Sam laughs, "No, but Lucien seems to be linked to all every group of supernatural's there are."

He pauses a moment and then takes another shot look at Eric, "I also know all about Lucien's history and this was why I was so worried when you took up with Eric, but I didn't want to worry or frighten you, you had told me about your Fae ancestry and I remembered the stories I was told as I grew up of how Niall killed his own daughter because she mated with a demon rather than stay within the Faery.

I was worried for you, wondering if Niall would try and eradicate you as he had seemed so keen to get to know you, if he then lost you to a vampire, well...I didn't see things ending well, but he seemed almost happy to encourage the union, and when he attended your human wedding and you wore that fairy crown, let's just say I was shocked."

I shrug, "He might still be involved for all we know, we know for a fact the Water Fae are involved somehow and Breandan seems to be leading them and he is Niall's nephew."

Sam nods, "Breandan was the son of Niall's brother Rogan and he like his father before him seems to be on a mission to eradicate those of mixed Fae blood, especially human/Fae hybrids. If with the help of Custis they are involving others and by others, I mean that maniac Maximillian, this could turn really nasty."

I realise we have now got back on to the other matter and it dawns on me that everything really is linked no matter how tenuously.

Eric chimes in at this point, "I think you should attend, when we call in Desmond to update him on what we have found, as he is also helping us with this, as Lucien's kin you have a part to play and you appear to be knowledgeable about aspects of what we are dealing with, we need all the help we can get if we are to figure this out and if all this is related to the imbalance then it affects us all".

Sam nods and then lets out a bark like laugh, "I wouldn't put it past Mad Max and his flair for dark magic to be behind the imbalance in his seemingly never ending quest for world domination" he says flippantly.

I stare at him in shock, what he has just said in jest has just made everything that is happening make sense and is the missing part of the puzzle, Maximillian has been using his links to other groups of Supes and manipulating them in his own twisted quest, I see Eric and Lucien reach the same conclusion as I have, Sam looks at us a confused expression on his face.

"What did I say?" he asks.

I beam at him, "I think you have just put the final piece of the puzzle in place the one part we were all missing, at this moment I could kiss you Sam Merlotte" I say.

I hear Eric growl at this and he immediately pulls me towards him.

"Oh stop it, Eric!" I rebuke "I'm not actually going to kiss him; it's a figure of speech."

Eric calms but not before giving Sam an evil 'don't even think about it' look.

I quickly stand, "Look we had better be going, and let you get some sleep, I'll call you with the time when we are getting together to discuss everything with Desmond, perhaps we could do it here in Bon Temps, so we could show Desmond what we found at Bill's place?" I say looking towards Eric, he nods.

"That is an excellent idea" he replies.

As we all leave I see Eric on his phone and realise he is calling Desmond, I deliberately tune out his conversation as my mind is buzzing with what Sam said, his glib remark said in jest just gave us the missing part of the puzzle the part we couldn't figure out. I turn to Lucien who is staring at me.

"Your mind amazes me," he says.

I smile at him, "I like to work things out" I reply with a shrug.

"No seriously, you are amazing, the way your mind sorts all the information analyses it and comes up with different theories which I have to say nine times out of ten are correct, I've only ever met one person like you who could do things like that so quickly on the spot and do it as accurately as you and that was Old Jeremiah he was a friend of my grandfather he was a True Shifter but he also possessed a significant amount of Mori blood somewhere in his lineage and watching his agile mind work was a joy to watch".

I smile politely but I don't say anything, it doesn't matter though as Lucien continues to speak and he has a fond look on his face, he clearly loved this person.

"Jeremiah was a great guy, I haven't seen him for years, he was a shifter but due to his Mori blood he had a really long extended lifespan, not immortal as a true Mori Demon would be but he had walked the earth for 150 years at the point I met him, he originally came as a favour to my grandfather, after Niall had managed to kill my grandparents despite their being in hiding he came to help watch over my father, and from what I was told many different Supes volunteered and worked together in a rare show of unity against the Fae".

As Lucien says this I remember Eric's story the night Lucien showed up. I nod, "Eric told me because he was also one of the Supes who volunteered to help guard your dad, he told me that Mr Cataliades great grandfather executed the demon who betrayed your grandparents to Niall and stayed to guard your dad."

Lucien nods, "Yeah, I heard that too, it's amazing how all different Supes came together for the greater good and put aside their prejudices about each other because they could see what Niall was doing was wrong."

A silence spills out between us at that, until Eric breaks it, "I have spoken to Desmond, he will join us tomorrow at Bill Compton's place, the shifter will also be joining us and we will discuss what happens next."

I wrap my arm around Eric's waist, "Ok" I say.

Lucien looks at both of us, "Well I don't know about you two, but I'm beat, Can we head back to your place now?"

Eric smiles, "Come on let's go home, the dragon needs his sleep."

**oooOOOooo**

When I rise the next evening I am filled with a strange sense of anticipation, as though something huge is going to happen tonight.

I give myself a shake and after Eric comprehensively claims me as is now the norm when we both rise, we head out to hunt. Things move quickly and we soon arrive at Bon Temps, Mr Cataliades and Sam are already waiting and in deep discussion. Sam is animatedly pointing at pieces of paper in his hand and seems to be getting confirmation about whatever it is they are discussing and Mr Cataliades is also writing on the papers which Sam is holding.

Sam looks up and smiles widely at me and Lucien, "Hello Cher, you are never going to believe what I have discovered!" he says.

He is practically bouncing with anticipation, I deliberately stay out of his head so that he can explain everything when we get inside. I glance at Desmond and he looks at me apologetically.

"It is something I should have told you a long time ago my dear, there is much more to your ancestry than just fairy blood, I kept it from you in order to protect you, as Niall had no idea the links existed and had he known, we all feared it would have put you in danger from him and others who would fear what you truly are."

This all sounds mysterious, and the words of the Shreef once again slide into my mind, 'you are of the Fae...and other things' it had said and I look at Eric for support, he shrugs and turns to Desmond.

"Shall we go inside and discuss this further and then we can show you the room Compton kept for all his secrets?" he says.

We all troop inside and take a seat around Bill Compton's huge table, Sam sits one side of me and Eric sits the other, Desmond sits opposite me next to Lucien who too looks curiously at the papers Sam is clutching. A moment later Pam and Karin appear and after the usual greetings, Karin takes the seat the other side of Eric and Pam sits beside Lucien. When everyone is settled Sam begins to speak.

"After what you told me yesterday Cher I went to the Shifter library online where there is an ancestry section and I looked up everything I could find, if there is shifter blood in the family no matter how minute and diluted, the names of the beings carrying it will be listed and sure enough I found your grandmothers name listed so it was just a case of tracing back to find her line and where she came from."

He pauses and I nod in understanding, Eric reaches for me and grips my hand as Sam continues.

"Ok then, it's quite complicated so bear with me, I wrote it all down so you could see and try and make sense of it, in that particular line you and your brother Jason are the first names mentioned as the latest of the line" Sam points at a roughly drawn family tree and I see my own name at the bottom, next to Jason and also Hadley is there.

I nod, his finger moves up, "Here is your father Corbett, he married a human so her name is not mentioned" he says and I nod, as I see his name along with Hadley's mom, my Aunt Linda.

"His mother Adele is the next one with Shifter blood and it is stated she married a human" we both smile at that, as we both know that Mitchell Stackhouse was not my biological grandfather.

"Ok then before Adele we have Adele's mother Dorothea, she also married a human, before her was her father Nathaniel, he was the shifter and he married a human, his father Hudson is the next shifter in the line and he also married a human, this is why the shifter blood is so diluted by the time it reached Adele and probably why any other Supes have never noticed it in you, ok are you with me so far?" he asks and I nod again.

"This is where it gets interesting, Hudson was a Shifter but he was also part Mori demon his father was a Mori Demon/shifter called Jeremiah" I hear Lucien take in a sharp breath at this and I remember our conversation of the previous day, I listen carefully to Sam so I don't miss anything.

"Hudson had a brother Preston, he married a demon and had a son - Ethan who was a Mori Demon and his son was Desmond" Sam stops and gestures to Mr Cataliades who is smiling widely at me.

"Wait...wait, so you are saying he is my cousin?" I ask pointing at the grinning demon and Sam nods.

"It gets better Cher, what I am going to tell you is going to totally blow your mind" he pauses and points at his paper, "this guy Jeremiah as I said was a Mori Demon/Shifter hybrid" Sam pulls out a second piece of paper out and points to it. "His mother was the shifter, she was a lady called Isabella she was a twin, and her twin sister was a lady called Maya, now Maya was the mother of Ika and Iniko, twin sons, Ika was my great grandfather, Iniko was..."

"Lucien's grandfather" I finish for him.

Sam nods, "but Mr Cataliades has given me another piece of information tonight which is, even more, mind blowing, I could only trace the shifters any other species are not listed by name in the shifter library, they just appear as a human or a demon or whatever, but trust me it gets even more interesting" Sam looks towards Desmond who leans forward and takes up the story.

"Jeremiah is my great grandfather, and as we have established is also your ancestor, as Sam has just said Jeremiah's mother was a shifter called Isabella and his father is a Mori Demon called Silas" I nod wondering where this is going.

"Silas had a brother" he pauses and looks at me and then at Lucien. "Silas's brother was called Malachy."

Everyone around the table gasps, Eric grips my hand and I look up at Lucien who is looking completely shell shocked.

"Fucking hell!" Lucien says eventually.

I giggle as I was thinking much the same thing. I quickly piece together everything I have just been told. I look up at Sam and then at Mr Cataliades.

"Wait...Ok, have I got this straight" I count on my fingers, "my... four times great grandfather was Jeremiah and he was your great grandfather?" I pause and Mr Cataliades nods.

"His mom was a shifter and his dad was a demon?" I pause again and Desmond nods, "His dad Silas had a brother called Malachy and we already know that he was Lucien's great grandfather, but not only that, Jeremiahs mom Isabella was twin sister to Maya who was Sam's great great grandmother, but one of her twin sons went on to be with Mireya - Malachy and Aine's daughter" I stop my mind is blown by this, I struggle to catch up and piece it all together.

"I'm having trouble understanding all this" I confess and I look at the scribbled diagrams Sam had drawn and the names added to it by Desmond to try and make sense of it.

I decide to take it a bit at a time, I go through the shifter line first, I see the names Maya and Isabella and the word twins, they are listed as True Shifters, I follow Maya's line down, and see Maya had twin sons Ika and Iniko, I follow Ika's line down three further generations where the True Shifter males all went on to marry Shifter women, and I see Sam's name at the bottom and he is listed as an annimorphus shifter like his mother, ok that's straightforward I've got that.

I go back up the tree to Ika and Iniko, and this time I follow Iniko's line down, and I see where Mr Cataliades has added the name, Mireya, and below that, I see Darius and the name Sia with the word Vampire next to it and then finally Lucien.

Now I go back up to the line to Ika and Iniko and move upwards to their mother Maya and see she shares a line with Isabella and they are named as twins, I move my attention to Isabella and her line, Desmond has added the name Silas next to Isabella as she married him and I see their son Jeremiah, and his son Hudson and I follow the list of names down to my own name it all slowly comes together in my mind, then going back up to Jeremiah I see his other son Preston and follow that line down to Desmond.

My finger traces the names back up to Silas and on that line I see the name of his brother Malachy and I jolt when I see Aine's name as his mate, my finger lingers on that name for a moment and then I stare at the diagrams once again as I see the link and follow that line down to Lucien and it all slowly starts to sink in and make sense.

I look up my eyes shining, "this is why all the Supes came together to protect Darius, and subsequently Lucien as well, they were protecting their own, they were protecting their family, they are all related and they put aside their differences for the good of their family."

I pause and look at my husband, who has just been watching and listening in silence "and there was also a brave and honourable vampire who joined them as he knew it was the right thing to do" I say as look at Eric, I feel him grip my hand and he sends love through the bond but doesn't say a word.

Pam and Karin are also silent but then Pam leans forward "Wait, I don't understand this?" she says.

Karin turns to her with a look of exasperation, "It isn't hard, ignore all the different names it will only confuse matters, just concentrate on the common ancestors - Sookie and Desmond have a common ancestor, Jeremiah – he had two sons one of Jeremiah's sons followed a human line to Sookie, the other followed a demon line to Desmond, then Lucien's common ancestor with that line is Silas, Silas is Jeremiahs father and his brother was Malachy who was Lucien's great grandfather so Silas is Lucien's great something or other, uncle. BUT Lucien is also linked to Sookie by Aine his great grandmother as her father is Niall and he is Sookie's great grandfather. Lucien is then linked to Sam their common ancestor is Iniko he was Lucien's grandfather his brother was Ika who is Sam's great grandfather, see, simple" she says with a wave of her hand.

I smile, "You forgot mine and Desmond's link to Sam, through Isabella, Maya's sister, Maya was Ika and Iniko's mom her sister Isabella married Silas and was Jeremiah's mother".

Karin stares at me, "Yes well, but with a family tree that complicated I think one small omission can be expected" she says haughtily.

"Do not forget the vampire link in all this" Eric says suddenly, speaking for the first time.

Everyone turns to look at him, and he looks at Lucien, "Your mother Sia, she is a vampire, and that links you to every vampire ever created" he says proudly.

I look closely at Eric and wonder if he knew any of this before as he doesn't seem to look that surprised.

"Eric, did you know about my ancestry before tonight?" I ask mildly.

Eric shakes his head, "No, not for certain, I had suspicions there was more to you than fairy but not before I turned you, those suspicions arose in me because when I turned you and drained you I got very faint traces of shifter blood, far too faint to be of any significance, but it was there and I also got traces of Mori demon blood as well as the more prominent fairy blood, at first I assumed the demon blood was from the protection spell you received from Desmond when he fed his blood to your grandmother, but the strength of the Mori blood in your system appeared to be too strong to be just from the trace Desmond gave to Adele, so I deduced there was some demon blood somewhere in your ancestry, but as with the trace of shifter blood I didn't know who was responsible for it".

I look at Lucien, "we are both a cocktail of Supe blood!" I say.

He nods, "You can say that again".

I look at Sam, "So we are related as well" I begin, Sam just grins at me.

"Wait till Jason hears about all this it will blow his mind, but it kind of explains how he said he feels he belongs with Calvin and Were Panthers, if he already had a bit of Shifter blood in him, I mean he never had the fairy spark so it's nice he got something" I pause then I look at Sam once again as a question forms in my mind.

"I have one question though, Alcide and Calvin both said twins were rare, but Maya and Isabella were twins and Maya went on to have twin sons" I stop and Sam nods.

"Yes, I know, twins among Weres are incredibly rare as there is something in the magic or genes or whatever it is which specialises in one single animal which requires more from the mother during gestation and prevents twins occurring in many cases, which I think Alcide explained to you?"

I nod remembering that conversation. "Shifters are different, you wouldn't think so, as you would have thought being able to transform into anything would require more magic or genes or whatever it is, but apparently not, and twins were more common amongst true shifters, which is who they were, I think possibly because true shifters were so rare as the species became less, more twins were produced" he says pointing at the names on the family tree, "but it didn't really help as shifters gradually specialised and evolved into Weres and others evolved more into annimorphus shifters and the incidences of twins decreased significantly".

I nod in understanding, "So whoever is manipulating the Weres now with all the twin births that are going to happen is really someone quite powerful?"

Everyone nods, Desmond leans forward, "Eric told me of Sam's comment last night and it does seem feasible that Maximillian is behind all this, the last time he got himself worked up like this was when Lucien was born, the concentration of supernatural bloodlines which combined to produce him frightened Max and when Max gets frightened he rallies the troops and goes on a rampage and it always brings out all of his world domination tendencies."

Eric nods in agreement at this. "He obviously learnt from someone about Sookie and then did some research and questioned Ocella and Bill and he clearly he got frightened again."

"What happened last time how did he get stopped?" I ask.

Desmond smiles, "Let's just say he was persuaded to cease and desist by two very powerful beings."

I urge him to continue, "Ezekiel and Isaiah," he says, those names mean nothing to me and I shake my head.

"Ezekiel is an incredibly powerful Mori Demon of great standing more powerful than many of our kind, and he is also the father of Malachy and Silas" Desmond pauses and lets me take that in.

"Oh shit" I gasp as realisation sets in, and I look at Lucien who is also mouthing the word shit.

"Who is Isaiah?" I ask almost too scared to ask.

Desmond smiles sadly, "Isaiah was a True Shifter and a great and loyal friend of Ezekiel he also had personal reasons to stand beside Ezekiel against Maximillian, as he was Maya and Isabella's father, and therefore grandfather to Lucien's grandfather Iniko. He shifted and went undercover into Max's circle to gain information and passed it on to Ezekiel, if it hadn't been for the information which he managed to get out, Max would probably have succeeded in his last rampage."

I lean back in my chair and look at Lucien, "we came up with a similar plan" I say, "I said I should try and utilise my Fae ability to infiltrate Max's circle and pass information back to find out what he was doing".

"And I said absolutely not" Eric states coldly. He looks at Desmond, "Tell her what happened to Isaiah" he snaps.

I look at Mr Cataliades, "Max discovered Isaiah and killed him" he says.

"Oh" I realise immediately why Eric is so adamant. Then something occurs to me, I look at Desmond, "What was Isaiah?" I ask carefully.

Desmond frowns, "A True Shifter," he says.

"Nothing...else?" I ask.

Desmond shakes his head, "No, purely a True Shifter which meant he had an extended lifespan much greater than the human lifespan and he possessed powers of healing and he undertook shaman duties from time to time but nothing serious, but he was nearing the end of it when he undertook the mission, that is why he was vulnerable once Max discovered him, plus Max is very powerful, but he got enough information out to help Ezekiel formulate a plan to stop Max, Ezekiel tried hard to rescue his friend but he didn't get there in time" he stops and realisation dawns on his face at what I am getting at.

I give him confirmation of what he is thinking, "Is Maximillian more powerful than say...oh I don't know, a young immortal Human/Fairy/Mori Demon/Shifter/Vampire hybrid?"

Lucien grins as he catches up and realises what I am getting at and he leans forward, "Not to mention a Vampire/Demon/Fairy/Shifter Dragon who will stand beside her and help her in any way he can" he says.

Desmond takes a shot look at Eric who is glowering at me. "I believe you and Max would be an even match, however, with Lucien at your side I believe you could prevail," he stops as Eric growls.

Karin stands up, "I will also stand beside my sister," she says fiercely, and I smile gratefully, Pam is the next one to pledge her support and I swallow hard. I look at Eric.

"If you believe you can do this, I too will stand beside you and fight with you, you are my wife and you seem to have convinced your sisters that you are worthy of their support" he says.

I think about that and know Eric really doesn't want me to do this, "thank you Eric" I say quietly.

"Shall we move on now to the other matters we are here for" Eric says smoothly he turns to Desmond, I can tell he wants to change the subject and get away from this before I push it any further, "If you would like to follow me I will show you what we discovered."

We all troop into the little room and Desmond gasps, as he takes it in, and Eric points to the files, "this is where we found the files which contained the information I discussed with you", Desmond nods.

He quickly goes through the filing cabinet and his smile grows wider, "there is no denying that Bill Compton was one anal son of a bitch!"

"Hey," Lucien says with a shocked expression, "From what I've learnt about that guy, I find that highly insulting, on behalf of all the canine family of Weres out there!"

I burst out laughing at that and so does Sam and I notice that even Eric is fighting to hide a smile.

Desmond holds up his hands in surrender but he is also laughing.

"Ok, poor choice of words, but really...?!" he says gesturing to the immaculately kept files. "I will stay if you don't mind and go through these files and see if we can find any further information that might help, it won't take me long to do so with a touch of magical help" he grins at us.

Eric nods, "Help yourself," he says dismissively.


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

The next few days pass in a blur, Desmond has gone through the files Bill kept with a fine tooth comb and we discover that he really was a complete spineless reptile. He was loyal to nobody other than himself, and he didn't think twice about betraying anyone if he thought it would either benefit him or save his own skin. He had even been feeding information to Niall about me, this really pissed me off, not only towards Bill for doing it but also Niall for indulging him and encouraging him in his delusions. It was mainly whining how he believed Eric was wrong for me and how he hoped Niall would step in, but thankfully nothing which put me or Eric in any danger.

I had sat down with Jason and told him the extent of our family heritage and introduced him to Lucien, as I expected he was totally blown away, he had immediately called Calvin and asked him to come over and I had sat there and explained it all again and Calvin had just stared at us in silence when Lucien had shifted in Jason's garden into the enormous dragon. Calvin had heard stories all his life of a Dragon Shifter who had a vampire for a mother but had just assumed they were just that, stories - legends and myths, so he was blown away actually meeting the man and seeing the Dragon.

Needless to say, after the conversation with Calvin, the Were bush telegraph went into overdrive and I soon got a phone call from Alcide asking me if what he had heard about my Shifter heritage was true. In the end Eric had stepped in and organised a meeting, as we still hadn't arranged the one which was promised after Alcide had told us about Max and his growing band of zombies to the north of Shreveport.

Eric said that everything would become clear and that we could tell them everything that has been discovered to this point. I know he is hoping that by sharing with them we can to try and bring them onside should we need them to confront Maximillian, which is looking increasingly likely.

It was decided to hold it at Merlotte's tonight after we rise, as the venue would be plenty big enough for the two packs of Weres, Sam, Desmond, Lucien and all the vampires of the area who Eric has insisted also attend. Sam is closing early for us to hold the meeting as soon as we rise, which tells me how worried he is about everything that is happening.

**oooOOOooo**

Eric and I are the first to arrive, Sam is clearing up and I spot Holly, she greets me warmly as she is leaving. I get the stink eye from Arlene who just stalks past us muttering under her breath, I respond just to wind her up as she passes me, I know it's childish but I can't help myself.

"It's good to see you too Arlene!" I call, and I make sure my fangs are fully down as I grin at her when she turns to glare at me.

Eric pushes me forward growling at me to behave as I laugh at Arlene rushing to get out.

The rest of the area vampires arrive led in by Thalia and Pam, Eric has closed Fangtasia for the night, because he believes this is more important. The vampires all greet us and I know Eric has given them all a brief overview of what is going to happen, I try out my new vampire mind reading skills and I pick up Thalia's thoughts, she wonders what is going on and if we have any more information on the imbalance, she is genuinely concerned about it and wants answers as to what is going on. The others are just generally curious at what is going to be said.

Next to arrive is Lucien with Jason, I smile, they have hit it off big time since they met and they come in chatting and laughing, I see some of the vampires stiffen at the sight of my brother and they glance at Eric questioningly. I squeeze his arm and immediately go over to smooth things over.

"My brother is a bitten Were Panther and as such is entitled to be here tonight, as Calvin is coming with the rest of his pack as are The Long Tooth Weres".

As I walk away I notice that what I have said has caused murmuring amongst the vampires until Thalia leans forward and says something which makes them all fall silent. I nod a gesture of thanks to Thalia but she doesn't respond and just remains impassive and closed off.

I spot Karin appear from the back entrance and I smile at her as she sits down next to Pam. Desmond arrives next with another man and I look at him curiously wondering who he is and why he is here, Desmond comes up to me and smiles widely.

"Sookie my dear, this is Marcus, he is an Empath Demon – a more trustworthy Empath Demon than our friend Darren, he has agreed to try and contact your grandmother to see if we can establish what the second warning was and we felt if it did contain the information we assume it does then it will provide proof to those who need it, but if it is something different then we will have that information as well."

I look at the demon suspiciously but nod in welcome, after being duped by Darren I'm not too quick to trust another Empath. He seems to pick up on my hostility but to his credit, he takes it in his stride.

Finally, the Long Tooth Pack and the Were Panthers arrive on mass with Alcide and Calvin leading the way, they greet us warmly and then they take their seats. There are a hell of a lot of people here tonight and I have to convince them that there is a problem and persuade them to come together and help, despite the fact we are not 100% sure what is actually happening, I hope that we can contact my Gran and that the warning she gives us is what we hope it is going to be.

I stand and the room falls silent, I feel my crazy Sookie smile sliding into place "Hi y'all" I say brightly and I inwardly cringe.

I pause, "I know some of you know why we called this meeting here tonight but some of you don't, things are happening and the truth is we don't know for sure what is going on, we have a lot of theories as to what is occurring, none of which are good, but whatever is happening isn't going to end well for any of us", I pause again and look around the room, letting them take that in before I continue.

"About a month or so ago, my husband became aware of subtle changes occurring, changes which would affect us all, he noticed changes in the balance between the Supernatural and human world, he made enquiries and got the proof that what he was sensing was correct and the balance had indeed shifted.

Incidences of human miscarriages and stillbirths have suddenly and dramatically increased, and the human birth rate has suddenly and significantly dropped, Eric has documentary evidence of this happening. But at the same time there has been a dramatic increase in the population of Supernatural's, Alcide and Calvin told me themselves that twin pregnancies were rare amongst Weres, but at present both packs have a number of pregnancies and more than one are twins which appear to be going to term." I glance at the pregnant Weres sitting in front of me, their hands resting protectively on their swollen stomachs.

"There has also been an increase of births in the Faery; Niall admitted to me that the decline in Fae fertility had been reversed recently. Also, and most worryingly of all, there appear to be more vampires being made, this is what raised the biggest red flag for me and made this something to be really concerned about, because this means it's not a natural fluctuation in birth rates and something which will work itself out, it is something that is being artificially manipulated by something or someone, as Vampires are not born they are made, so are therefore somehow being coerced into creating progeny.

Niall came to visit us and expressed his concern and offered a theory that it was something he called the End of Days". There is a gasp at this, making it clear that everyone has heard of that term before, I hold my hand up to silence the murmuring that has started.

"But, I don't believe it is, I think it is something far more explainable, you have all heard of Maximillian the leader of the Zombies, with the evidence we have, we think it maybe down to him, we think he is planning a rampage and attempting a shot at domination and as part of that plan he has been using his dark magic skills which have caused this imbalance". I let that sink in a moment before I continue.

"A number of things have led us to that conclusion, the night I rose after being turned into a vampire, something appeared in the woods at my home here in Bon Temps, that being was impersonating Appius Livius Ocella, Eric's Sire, but only Eric and I could sense him, neither Pam nor Karin could sense the being in the woods, which would be impossible if it were truly Ocella as they were also linked to him through Eric. We were going out to confront the being and were stopped by a Shreef who I had seen on my property numerous times recently, and the Shreef warned us that it was a trap.

"How?" comes a voice from the back.

I look towards it, "I heard it, it spoke to me, as you know I am part Fae, and becoming a Vampire also somehow increased my essential spark and other gifts which I will explain in a moment" there is more murmuring but I continue regardless.

"We have since managed to establish without doubt that the being was a fairy," this produces even more murmuring, and I hold up my hand.

"Niall has stated he had nothing to do with the fairy in the woods, and whilst I would like to believe him I find it difficult to, when his thoughts did not match the words coming from his mouth, and yet there was enough ambiguity in those words he spoke, for them not to be considered a lie. We have deduced a possible suspect, and that is a fairy called Custis, who is Fairy of the Water Fae and the half brother of Maximillian, Max is...was a Halfling before he became a Zombie and his father was a full Water Fae fairy who also fathered the full fairy, Custis.

From the information Niall gave me which I must stress cannot be trusted totally, I believe that Custis could be involved, but he could also very easily be the Faery scapegoat to try and conceal what the real plan is. We also got information from Ocella when he came to visit that pointed the finger of suspicion at Maximillian, as he had spent time with Max and Max had helped heal Ocella after Alexei attacked him".

I make sure to sound vague about Ocella and the entire visit, as no matter how vile his maker was Eric didn't want it to be made common knowledge that he had been manipulated by Maximillian.

"Ocella also informed us that he had been in contact with another vampire who we have since proved was not here visiting Ocella at that point in time, meaning he had been duped, and there has also been another instance that we are aware of, of an impersonator showing themselves to another vampire.

The long tooth pack informed us all that Maximillian was setting up a camp with around 150/200 zombies a few miles north and the last time he behaved in this manner was when he went on a rampage. The reason for that previous rampage is with us tonight."

I look at Lucien who stands up and comes to stand next to me. I gesture to him as the room fills with murmurs.

"This is Lucien, he is… well...he is a lot of things but the main one is a Dragon – he shifts into a dragon, his mother is a vampire and his father was a fairy/demon/shifter hybrid, when he was born what he was, frightened Maximillian for some reason, and he decided to rampage and attempt to take over the Supernatural world. Maximillian is a master of the dark arts and dark magic and having a Halfling Fae heritage and being made from magic himself as the zombie he now is, he is incredibly powerful and more than capable to produce an imbalance between the supernatural world and the human world, which would benefit him in his quest for world domination."

"What do you believe caused Max to lose it this time?" someone calls.

I smile slightly embarrassed, "Me" I say.

"I have discovered a number of things about my own heritage recently, I always assumed I was a fairy/human hybrid, but it has recently come to my attention that I also have Shifter and Mori Demon blood in my ancestry, and it appears Maximillian may have also known this, but we haven't established yet where and how he learnt this.

I believe that his plan originally was to prevent Eric from turning me and adding Vampire blood to the mix, and producing something which he feared would be like Lucien, he failed in that plan and now he fears what I am and what I have become, and so he is reacting the only way he knows – by causing mayhem and trying to take over the world, although why he would think this is the correct way to react is anyone's guess".

I pause and take a moment to look around me, it appears everyone is listening and taking in what I am saying. You can hear a pin drop the silence is so complete, I wonder if everyone is believing me or if I am wasting my time, I don't dare to dip into anyone's heads as I couldn't bear hearing thoughts of disbelief.

"This imbalance affects us all, a lack of humans is not a good thing, for vampires that means our food supply is cut off and we will have to evolve, if the only options are other Supes then it becomes survival of the fittest and none of us wants that, we need to work together to restore the balance and preserve the status quo".

Desmond stands up, "Sookie do you wish to try and contact your grandmother now and see if we can establish what her second warning was and if it has any relevance to this situation?" I nod eagerly; if we can get some kind of factual warning then that can only help.

Desmond comes forward with the Empath demon and introduces him to everyone, this time he is going to participate and make sure the link isn't broken. Marcus looks at me kindly.

"Are you ready?" he asks and I nod and offer him my hands he takes them in his and Desmond places his hands over both of ours keeping the palms in full contact. Almost immediately there is a shimmering and the outline of my grandmother appears, I smile.

"Hi, Gran" I call, as astonished gasps fill the room.

"Sookie my darling girl, I knew you would bring me back, you have done so well, you have worked out so much by yourself without my warning, but I will give it to you now, as I sense there are those in this place tonight who are not yet totally convinced, but first I address all these people here tonight who have sat and listened to you, every word my granddaughter has spoken is true, and it is imperative that you all put aside your personal prejudices for the greater good and for the future of the supernatural world and humanity, Maximillian cannot be allowed to succeed in his plan for world domination, as it will affect you all".

"Do you know who is responsible for being the impersonator who appeared to Ocella and the other vampire?" I ask, I am not about to out the very first vampire as being duped. Thalia nods in approval at my discretion.

"I do know, it was Custis" my Gran says firmly, "he was responsible for duping the vampires but he is being manipulated by his half brother Maximillian, it was all simply orchestrated as a distraction to turn your attention from what he was really doing, he used magic to enhance the Fae gift of impersonation, and he also used magic on Ocella to persuade him he was healed when in actuality he was not."

I inwardly cringe, Gran has just openly stated that Max tricked Ocella something which I had previously avoided saying out loud at Eric's request, I glance at my husband but he remains impassive, I return my attention back to my Gran.

"The being who appeared in your woods the night of your rising was not Custis it was Maximillian himself, I am not certain of his motive for coming to you but believe that he originally came himself to prevent you being turned, but when he realised he was too late and you had already risen he decided to come to try and end you instead, but he failed due to the warning you received from the Elemental Spirit, but I must stress I am not certain about this. I must also tell you that the previous Empath demon was also working for Maximillian, I have learnt that it was he, who provided Maximillian with all the initial information he had on you and Maximillian had instructed him to allow you to hear my warning about Ocella, because I think as far as Maximillian was concerned Ocella had fulfilled his purpose and it didn't matter to him whether or not he lived or died. I believe that Maximillian hoped you would be killed along with Ocella when the two of you met, but again I am not totally certain of that fact, as his motives for that visit, a meeting which he manipulated seem a little hazy. I am so sorry about Darren the Empath Demon, I had no idea when I approached him that he was involved with the zombie, and I'm sorry that I cannot give more certainty in my information, but I do believe that Maximillian needs to be stopped as it is a fact that he is involved with the imbalance between the Supernatural and human world".

"Is Niall involved?" I ask.

"No, after talking with you he thought it could all have something to do with the Water Fae, which was partly correct but it made him reluctant to confirm anything to you as he didn't want you to believe he wasn't in full control of the Faery, but what he failed to realise is that not being totally honest with you made you question him and his own involvement and suspect his honesty and loyalty, but the Faery are in as much danger as this realm, because Maximillian is not a rational being, his version of reality does not coincide with any other being and in this warped reality which is his mind, he is also planning to take over the Faery, he is using his Water Fae links to manipulate unrest in the Faery and then he plans to swoop in and overrun it".

"Is that all Gran?" I ask.

"It is," she says.

"Thank you so much, Gran," I say.

"You are more than welcome my beautiful girl, you are special and you have great things ahead of you, if you can defeat that monster, but I must go now, remember I love you very much."

She looks across the room towards Jason who is sitting stupefied at seeing our grandmother again, "I love you too Jason, my sweet boy."

I see Jason swallow hard and nod, he offers a small smile but can't say anything, "and... " she pauses and looks across at Eric, "she is right to do this, she must attempt to stop him and she will have help" she says cryptically, and she turns to me, "You will have more help than you could ever imagine, but you need to try and stop Maximillian" she says.

I nod, "Ok Gran, thank you and I love you," I say.

"Goodbye my darling girl and I love you too and I am always watching" With that, she is gone, I pull my hands away and blink away the blood tears threatening to fall, I look for Eric and see him striding towards me.

He wraps his arms around me, turning to shield me from everyone who is watching, "Are you alright?" he asks me anxiously.

I nod and press my hands to his chest, "I'm fine...honestly" I say.

I look up at him, "I'm sorry Gran said what she said about Ocella" I say quietly.

"Forget it, you have no control over what your Grandmother has to say" he smiles at me encouraging and I reach for him and squeeze his hand. He squeezes me back and then lets me turn to address everyone once more.

I return my attention to the room at large relieved now that we have the confirmation we need, I quickly go through the part plan I came up previously, which consists of me getting close to Max's circle and listening to thoughts or actually getting inside and sending information back before making a strike. I make it clear this is nowhere near a complete plan and that we will need time to put together one which is workable and covers all bases.

I also outline my heritage and family tree and tell the story of how many Supes came together to protect Darius against Niall, I tell the story how Isaiah and Ezekiel stood together to fight Max the last time, and how Isaiah gave his own life to stop Maximillian succeeding. I then ask for everyone's help to fight with me.

I wait and look around the room, immediately Lucien stands beside me, "I will fight with you" he says, the next to pledge is Karin and Pam as they rise out of their seats and stand together.

"You have our support sister," Karin says.

Eric wraps his arm around me once more, "You know that you have me...always" he says clearly but quietly.

I smile up at him and kiss his cheek. I watch as one by one all the area 5 vampires stand up and simply nod.

"I'll fight with you Sookie" Jason calls and he stands up and my heart almost bursts with pride, of all the Supes here he is the most vulnerable, being human most of the time except at the full moon which is the only time he is able to shift. Sam is the next one to pledge with the simple call of '_I will'_.

Calvin and Alcide exchange looks and they both nod and then they stand in unison, "You have me" Calvin says gruffly.

"and I" Alcide states, at the sight of their leaders pledging the rest of the packs stand and pledge. I am shocked I turn and Desmond is standing beside Eric.

"You may count on my support, it has been many years since I wielded a sword but I'm sure I remember how," he says and I smile at him.

"You have our support too and that of our people" I turn at the unfamiliar voices and see two distinguished looking men standing in the doorway, the power from one of them radiates around the room, and everyone is on full alert.

"I don't believe it" Eric whispers, he clearly recognises them and I wonder if he is going to enlighten me.

The two men come forward and Eric greets them warmly with a deep bow, he turns to me, "Sookie step forward my love" he says.

I stare stupidly at the two men who smile kindly at me.

"Good evening child, you are as tenacious as I have been told," one says.

"I'm really sorry but who are you?" I ask trying to be polite.

One of the men throws his head back and laughs loudly, "Forgive us, my child, let me introduce myself I am Silas, I am your five times great grandfather and I am a full blooded immortal Mori Demon" he says proudly, he turns to Lucien "and as for you my boy, you have grown into a fine man" he says fondly.

Lucien stands with his mouth hanging open, and I can hear the words '_fucking hell'_ as clear as if he is shouting them, coming from his head when the other man speaks, the power just radiates from him and I know immediately who he is.

"You have to be Ezekiel" I blurt out before I can stop myself.

The demon nods, "You are quite correct I am and you have my full support, and I don't intend to see the mistakes of the last time we had to thwart Maximillian repeated" he looks at Eric as he says this and Eric nods understanding the message.

"You have my support which means you will also have an army of Mori Demon warriors at your side" he adds proudly.

"You also have my support great granddaughter" I hear the familiar voice of Niall and watch as Ezekiel and Silas spin on the spot radiating immediate animosity.

I didn't hear him arrive so I assume he has been here a while hiding and listening and as he takes a step forward, I instinctively reach out with my arm and push Lucien behind me, knowing how Niall feels about him and his family, and what he has done in the past.

It must look ridiculous me at barely five foot shielding the strapping seven foot hulk, but I do it anyway, the two demons acknowledge my gesture and move to stand in front of both of us protecting us and a long flaming sword appears in Ezekiel's hand, and I fear that this is not going to end well, so much for cooperation between species for the greater good.

Gasps fill the room and everyone is rooted to the spot gaping at the events unfolding, their eyes darting from me and Lucien to the angry demons in front of us and then to Niall.

Niall holds up his hands in a gesture of surrender, "I mean the boy no harm, at this moment he is safe, I have heard enough tonight to know the Faery is in as much danger as this world, I want to assist you to stop this maniac". He says watching the flaming sword carefully.

I listen to his mind and his thoughts seem genuine, but I am quickly going through his words to find the loopholes. "He appears genuine, but something in my gut is telling me not to totally believe him" I whisper to Ezekiel, he lowers his sword slightly, but still watches Niall suspiciously.

Niall takes a tentative step forward. "I wish to make amends for my previous behaviour, I realise now that I was wrong in what I did, I was no better than my brother with his quest for purifying the Fae from Halflings, I am truly repentant for what I did then," he stops and waits.

I go over his words, and I get stuck on the word then, I check his mind again and there I see the truth, he isn't sorry at all, he repents for what he did then, but he would do it again in the future and I go back to his other statement I mean the boy no harm, at this moment he is safe, meaning he probably won't be in the future. I feel the anger rising inside me, I hate this fairy with a passion at this moment I am sickened by him, he is just trying to save his position of ruler of the Faery and his own skin.

Before I stop to consider what I am doing I step forward my fists clenched.

"Sookie" Eric warns. I look at him and touch his arm briefly.

"You may be sorry now, but that doesn't bring back your daughter Aine, her husband Malachy, their daughter Mireya and her husband Iniko – all those innocent lives you took just because your daughter fell in love with the wrong person, how wrong is that?" I say.

I look at Lucien briefly before continuing, "Were you responsible for Darius's death when those rogue fairies came to take Lucien when he was a baby?" I ask.

Niall nods, and Lucien's eyes harden.

"You disgust me, Niall, I want nothing more to do with you," I say and I deliberately turn my back on him.

"Sookie please" he pleads, and the tone of his voice reminds me of Bill and his incessant whining and something snaps inside me and another uncontrollable surge of anger fills me, I push past an incredibly shocked Ezekiel and stomp towards Niall and shove him much like I did Bill.

"NO!" I yell, "You are not repentant, you do not want to make amends, you do not want peace, you are a bully and a coward, you are only here to save your own skin and to preserve your position as ruler of the Faery, you are not sorry how can anyone consider killing their own child just because they fell in love with someone different, you are a tyrant and a small minded oppressor only interested in consolidating your position as ruler of the Fae and as soon as this is over you will return to wanting Lucien dead, I heard what you said Niall," I tap my head, "you still want him dead but you are biding your time."

Niall glares at me, "You heard my words, Fae cannot lie" he growls.

I laugh, "Oh yes I heard your words, but I also heard your thoughts and they did not match, so I checked your words and what did I find, the tricky Fae wording things so that at first glance they seem benign but there is always a get out clause isn't there, you said and I quote '_I mean the boy no harm, at this moment_'"

Niall nods and I pause, "At. This. Moment" I reiterate clearly and slowly, realisation dawns on the faces of the demons and Niall looks stunned.

"At this moment" I continue, "meaning in the future when the threat has passed and you get what you want, you won't think twice about coming for him, well I won't fucking let you!" I step forward and shove Niall again.

It's like shoving into a brick wall, I stop and I see Niall glow brightly and I see him in his true form, he is trying to intimidate me but it won't work, I just laugh at him.

"What are you going to do Niall, kill me too?" I taunt, holding my hands out to the side, Eric is desperately trying to calm me and send me warning through the bond but I ignore it and take another step closer to Niall, he steps towards me and I see he has pulled some sort of dagger from his cloak.

Immediately Ezekiel moves so swiftly he is a blur and he plants the flaming sword into Niall who looks shocked at what has happened. It is only then I realise I have been dragged backwards and I am in Eric's arms and he is holding me tightly and shielding me with his body.

"That is for my son Malachy, his wife Aine, his daughter Mireya, his son in law Iniko and his grandson Darius, I consider my oath to avenge their deaths fulfilled, may their Mori, Fae and Shifter spirits now rest knowing that justice has finally been done" Ezekiel proclaims loudly.

He withdraws the sword which has now gone out and looks just like a regular sword and Niall drops to the ground and in seconds has turned to dust.

Ezekiel looks around the room, and points his sword at me "I stand with this girl to vanquish Maximillian once and for all, do you all stand with us" he yells and holds up his sword.

There is a loud chorus of yes's and I stare in shock at everyone.

**oooOOOooo**

When everyone has gone, Ezekiel and Silas are still there and they come up to me and Silas takes my hand.

"You are a credit to your varied and distinguished bloodline, we honoured Fintan's wishes to keep you hidden, and we did not approach you as we did not want to risk revealing you to Niall, but we have watched you for many years from a distance and we knew you were special, we were so torn, we wanted to help you as you struggled with your telepathy as a child but you grew strong and you learnt to manage it.

Then despite our best efforts Niall became aware of you and when the fairy first approached you we were concerned that he would attempt to kill you but he seemed to revere you rather want to destroy you, so once more we kept our distance as we felt if he became aware of us and our link to you it would put you in danger, Fintan and his brother Dermot were the only fairies we dealt with, they appeared to have your best interests at heart, Fintan was adamant to keep you and the rest of his human family hidden from Niall, but sadly he found you, Desmond kept watch over you for years and I am thankful he bestowed the protection on your grandmother as with your increased affinity with the supernatural world it strengthened the Mori blood you already carried" he explains.

I stare at him in shock at everything he has just said. Ezekiel comes up to me next and wraps his arm around my shoulder, "We will send an experienced Mori warrior to train you, you will be responsive, you will learn to fireball and to use the gift of telekinesis, you also need instruction to strengthen your Fae gifts, they are strong but you do not know how to harness them correctly, I will contact Dermot to come to you and help you learn, although...have you conquered your hunger yet?"

I nod, "Kind of, Eric says I have good control of the bloodlust for a vampire so new," I say.

"A fairy is another matter entirely, we will ensure his scent is obscured, as a Halfling he is unable to mask his scent like a full fairy and whilst it is not overpowering, it would still be irresistible for a vampire and for a newborn I fear it would be fatal."

I nod again unable to process what is going on. "Does Dermot live in the Faery or here?" I ask.

"Here, he is unwelcome in the Faery with his status as a Sky Fae Halfling, a somewhat hypocritical stance considering Max travels frequently to the Faery to visit his Water Fae kin," Silas says sadly.

I nod and something occurs to me, "Can you seal the portal to the Faery I really don't want any fairies coming looking for Niall?" I ask.

Silas nods, "we can is there one near here?" he asks.

I explain about the one in the woods of my old home. "You just said Max visits the Faery well if we seal it, it will trap him on one side or the other," I say.

Silas shakes his head, "Only one way, he can teleport into the Faery but without a portal, he won't be able to teleport out".

"Well that's better than nothing," I say.

After thanking Sam for the use of Merlotte's I see Eric count off a pile of bank notes and hand them to Sam obviously compensating him for having to close early. Then after Silas spends some time talking with Sam about his Shifter ancestry we head back to my old home.

We stand in the grounds and Ezekiel closes his eyes, "Aah there it is" he says, when he locates the portal, then he reaches out and holding his sword up mutters some words, then I see him counting and muttering the same words after each number he says. I watch him but don't disturb him.

Eventually, he opens his eyes, "There it is all done, the Faery is sealed off, all the portals are gone and you will get no repercussions from the death of the Prince".

"And any fairies stranded will be able to teleport back to the Faery but they cannot teleport into this world without a portal?" I confirm not wanting anyone to be stranded, but not really wanting Fairies coming this way out of the Faery. Ezekiel nods.

"Thank you," I say gratefully. I pause, "we weren't too hasty were we? I mean killing Niall?" I look up at Ezekiel and he smiles at me kindly.

"Niall Brigant has been a murdering tyrant for more than a millennia, he destroyed any fairy who disobeyed or questioned him, yet he blatantly disregarded his own laws as though he was above them. You would never have been safe knowing him and having him in your life, he would have found some way to destroy you in the end" he says.

I glance at Ezekiel's sword, "that was a cool thing you did with your sword back there, with the flame, I mean" I say.

Ezekiel smiles, "that flame would not have been extinguished until I had completed my oath to kill Niall, that flame was the restless souls of the lives he took," he says solemnly.

I stare at him, not quite sure what to say to that, so I change the subject, "Ok, so what happens now?" I ask.

Silas steps in and hands me a card with two phone numbers on, "We will be in touch shortly to help you with your training and then when you get your plan implemented and we will be here with an army to protect you and support you, in the meantime if you need anything at all you call one of those two numbers, the top one is Ezekiel's and the bottom one is mine, we have a lot of years to make up for" he promises.

I take the card from him and look at it, "Ok" I say cringing at my one-word response.

Ezekiel looks at Eric, "It was good to see you again Eric, you are an honourable vampire, you make my kin a good mate and I am pleased that she eventually saw sense and allowed you to turn her, the vampire blood has awakened her full potential" he says.

I watch them, the words of the Shreef now making total sense but that is pushed aside by my irritation, I am more than a little pissed that they are talking about me as though I'm not there, and I put my hands on my hips and raise my eyebrows.

Ezekiel looks at me in surprise.

"I am here you know" I spit.

A huge smile spreads across his face and he starts to laugh, "Yes the reports were correct, very feisty" he says and laughs even louder.


	18. Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

I say goodbye to the two Demons and watch them disappear into the night, and I realise it's just me and Eric now as I look around.

"Where's Lucien gone?" I ask I know he had been here. He had been just as astounded by their presence tonight as I was and he had known of them for longer than I had and probably met them previously for all I know.

"He went back to our place with Karin," Eric says dismissively, his tone is clipped and sharp, I frown but don't say anything.

"Where's Pam?" I ask.

"Gone home" he replies, again his tone clipped and I notice an edge in his voice which immediately sets alarm bells ringing and I wonder what is eating him.

I think for a moment and realise it must be something to do with Niall and the way he pulled that dagger out on me, my safety was threatened and that always upsets him. So I turn on the charm to try and bring him back to me.

I turn to face him and I look up into his face and smile at him, "shall we go home too?" I ask seductively, and I lean up and press a kiss to the corner of his mouth, normally this gets his motor running but tonight is different, he grips my shoulders and pushes me away from him. Now I am really worried.

I frown again, I am tempted to dip into his mind and find out what the matter is but the odd churning of emotion I am getting through the bond makes me hesitate and then decide against that.

"What is it?" I ask slightly nervously, "What's wrong?" I reach up and touch his face and as quick as lightning he grabs my wrist squeezing it tightly as he yanks my hand away.

"Don't you ever, ever, EVER do anything that stupid again" he spits at me and the anger which he has obviously kept controlled up to this point bursts from him and through the bond to me, I take a step back as when it hits me, it feels like it has physically punched me hard in the gut.

I shake my head in confusion. I have no idea what he is talking about, "What?" I ask eventually.

He is still gripping my wrist tightly and I try and pull away from him. I look up into his face once more and he fixes me with his steady gaze his gorgeous blue eyes are hard and cold, they are filled with the anger which I can feel pouring through him and into me via our bond, he is making no effort to prevent it from doing so, he wants me to feel how angry he is.

It has the effect of making me angry, "Look stop playing games Eric, what the fuck have I done?" I spit at him.

"What you did tonight was beyond stupid! It was beyond all reason! Confronting a full Fairy as powerful as Niall, with no weapons and then goading him to kill you, are you totally deranged?!" he shouts into my face, his fangs are down which is a visual of just how worked up he is about this.

I have never actually heard him raise his voice before, he is normally so calm and cool even when he is livid, so immediately I realise how far he has lost control at this moment, I think about what he has said and realisation hits me like a ton of bricks, perhaps I shouldn't have done it, but at that moment when Niall made me angry I was on a roll and I had got carried away.

I don't say anything as Eric is continuing to berate me because it is slowly dawning on me that he is probably right, I had stood in a room full of Supes and called a Fairy 'tricky' a label which they are known to despise and not only that I had also called him a liar and I had more or less proved it. There is also the point to consider that, that particular Fairy had been Niall who as Crown Prince of the Sky Fae, ruler of the Faery and total tyrant was capable of murdering family members who disobeyed and disrespected him and I had stood there in a room full of Supes and disrespected him and belittled him in front of all of them and shown them what he was really like, and then gone on to laugh at him and ask him if he was going to kill me, yeah, with hindsight that was definitely not one of my cleverest ideas.

I return my attention back to Eric who is still ranting at me, "If Ezekiel hadn't seen what Niall was going to do and froze him so that he and I could get to you first, you would be finally dead now" he says and I feel the anger has vanished and it is replaced with despair at what could have happened.

He lets go of my wrists which he has been gripping tightly and I immediately reach for him.

"I'm sorry" I whisper and I do mean that, I'm not just trying to placate him, I realise now that what I did was incredibly stupid.

He shakes his head, he is no longer shouting and his fangs have detracted, and he has regained his self-control, which I am pleased about, I have never seen him so out of control angry before, it was totally out of character for him to behave that way. When he speaks again it is in his usual calm and controlled manner.

"It is as much my fault as yours, you have so many untapped gifts inside you which are developing and screaming to get out, the slightest thing is causing you to act inappropriately and I have failed you by not training you properly.

You need to learn better control and I should have taught you that, but you have been so advanced and had so much control in other areas I made assumptions and I shouldn't have, hopefully when the Fairy and the Demon arrive to train you to harness those gifts associated with those parts of your bloodline, that will help and then with my guidance you will not act so impulsively".

I wrap my arms around him, "I'm sorry" I say again I have no idea what else to say to him.

I feel his arms come around me, and slowly I feel the love bleeding through the bond and pushing out the more negative emotions "Let's forget it for now, but promise me never to do anything like that again."

I nod, "I promise" I mutter into his chest, thinking that it's a good thing he wasn't there when I did exactly the same thing before I became a vampire when I confronted Bill.

When we arrive back home Karin and Lucien are waiting for us, Karin has her arms folded and she gives me a raised eyebrow look.

"What?" I ask wondering if she is going to rip me a new one as well.

"That's twice now that you have thought that shoving someone bigger and stronger than you is the correct way to behave, you are not always going to have someone there to save your ass," she says.

"Don't start, I've already been yelled at" I say, holding my hand up.

Eric steps up beside me, "I have made Sookie aware that her behaviour tonight was unacceptable" he says and Karin nods.

"In that case, I am going to bed," she says.

"WAIT!" Eric shouts, Karin freezes and looks around, "Twice?" Eric asks mildly glancing at me. I step forward and touch his arm, I send calm and love through the bond but he just glares at me.

"What don't I know?" he asks in that same mild tone which screams danger, but personally after seeing him yelling the way he did before, I will take the mild tone any day of the week.

Before Karin can answer I jump in, "The night Bill died, he had gotten me so mad I shoved him, much like I did with Niall, in fact, it was the way Niall whined at me that set me off, it reminded me of Bill and I sort of lost it" I stop and wait to be berated again.

But to my great surprise, he just shrugs, "You were not a vampire then, your behaviour can be excused," he says dismissively.

"But from this night you do anything that stupid again and I will punish you" he adds with more than a hint of menace in his voice and I know he isn't joking. So I simply nod. I glance at Karin but she simply turns and stalks off without a word.

Lucien smiles sympathetically at me, "Apart from the suicidal moment with Niall where I thought she'd lost her damn mind, she was brilliant tonight Eric" he says trying to make me feel better.

I glance at my husband who smiles at last, "She was" he concedes, he looks at me, "You were magnificent" he adds.

I manage a weak smile, Lucien wraps his arm around me, "Cheer up Sookie, you are going to be training when you rise tonight with a Mori Demon Warrior. Now that will be something else, I assure you, I can't wait to see it, and I wonder who they will send to you?"

"I hope it's someone with plenty of patience" Eric puts in dryly.

"Do you think Dermot will come tonight as well, to help me with my Fairy abilities?" I ask as I had never met my Fairy uncle and Niall never talked about him although he regularly talked to me about Fintan, and yet Fintan and Dermot were brothers.

"Probably, Ezekiel and Silas said they would ask him to come and train you with your Fairy abilities, also the Mori Demons are going to have to be there to help him cloak his scent."

"Is that necessary?" I ask and Lucien laughs.

"Yes, they will need to, as he is a Halfling, so he is unable to mask his own scent, they will have to be with him if they don't want him eaten."

I glance out of the window, I can feel the pull of dawn coming, tonight has flown past.

Lucien sees me look and pulls away from me, "I'm going to turn in, I'll see you both tonight" he says.

With that he is gone leaving me and Eric alone, I watch Eric carefully as he moves towards me.

"Let's go to our resting place," he says gently. He holds out his hand to me and silently I take it and let him lead me away.

Once we are safely locked inside he turns to me, "I'm sorry I lost control like that Sookie but please don't do anything like that again" he says.

I hear the vulnerability in his voice and it shocks me, Eric is anything but vulnerable, he strong, brave and fearless, then I realise he is all those things except where I am concerned, he fears losing me, because he loves me and tonight he saw me come close to death and not even realise it.

We climb into bed, "I won't" I whisper to him, and he pulls me close, I kiss him gently and slowly I feel him push my knees apart with his leg and settle between my legs.

"I love you" I whisper to him.

"I love you and I do not wish to watch you die through stupidity, when you were human your actions could be excused and besides Bill was an idiot who would try the patience of a saint with his behaviour, but now you are a vampire, what you did tonight could easily have started a war" he says.

I nod, now realising just how stupidly I behaved, "You've made your point, now make love to me," I say pulling him closer.

He nuzzles my neck, "With pleasure" he replies and I feel him sink into me, and start to move, and soon we are lost in each other.

**oooOOOooo**

After an exceptionally good hunt, I am sitting in our kitchen chatting with Karin and Lucien, when Eric comes in.

"Sookie you are needed outside," he says.

I stand and follow him out, standing in the garden is Desmond and with him is a tall blonde haired man who resembles Jason a little and an old man who has a grizzled face with many scars and snow-white hair, I look closely at him and see he has the same piercing grey eyes as Desmond and also like Silas and Ezekiel so I am assuming this must the Mori Demon sent to train me. But he looks so old.

"I don't fucking believe it, Jeremiah!" the exclamation from behind me makes me turn and I see Lucien charging towards us, the old man's face breaks into a huge smile making it even more wrinkled and he holds open his arms.

"Lucien my boy!" he says fondly and I watch as Lucien throws himself into the man's arms.

I worry for a moment that with his weight and size not to mention the speed he is going, Lucien will flatten the man but it is like he hurled himself into a wall as the man doesn't budge and I realise that looks are deceptive and this is one strong Demon. Then the name registers with me, Jeremiah, he is my and Desmond's common ancestor and he is the Demon/Shifter and the executioner of the Demon who betrayed Lucien's family.

"Jeremiah it's good to see you" I hear Eric say from my side. He bows at Jeremiah, Jeremiah smiles at Eric and then returns the gesture. Eric steps closer to me and wraps his arm around me and the old man's eyes move to me.

"So you are Sookie" he steps closer, "The last time I saw you, you were a tiny baby when I accompanied Desmond to see if you possessed the spark".

I stare at him in surprise, and he nods, "That damn Fairy sniffing around, searching for you, made it impossible for us to make ourselves known to you, we knew if we did your life would be in danger, Desmond had wanted to watch over you as you grew up but because he had dealings with the Faery through his legal work he didn't dare to approach you directly in case he led Niall to you.

Fintan was adamant he didn't want his father anywhere near you, plus your spark was so strong when we examined you as a baby it seemed to drown out what bit of Demon and Shifter you had. We missed out on so much with you, Desmond has told us how wretched your childhood was, but we knew you were special right from the start, and you proved it, you were strong Sookie, you could easily have gone insane but you evolved and developed your own shields without any training, that is remarkable beyond thinking, and it shows how strong you are and just how special, but since you were turned, you have really blossomed, it has unlocked all your other gifts and now I am here with my friend Dermot to teach you how to harness them".

I look at Dermot carefully, he really does look a lot like Jason but he has sad eyes.

"Hello," I say to him.

Dermot smiles, "Hello Sookie, I'm Dermot, my brother Fintan was your grandfather, so I am your uncle I'm here to help you try and harness what Fairy gifts you have, I've been told that you are unaware of how to harness them correctly and with control".

I nod but don't say anything. Desmond steps in at this point, "She teleported the other day and she managed to transport Eric along with her, but she had no idea how she had done it when she arrived" he says.

"How far did you go?" Dermot asks, I point to the house, "Just from...erm upstairs to the downstairs" I say.

"And you transported another at the same time on your first attempt?" Dermot says.

"Yes," I say warily.

"Impressive" he replies.

"I've picked up on a few things" Lucien says he has been listening carefully up to this point and now decides to add his view to the conversation, and all eyes turn towards him.

"Her telepathy is evolving rapidly, very rapidly, her mind is unreal, she strategizes and sorts information so quickly and well and from what she comes up with, the theories which nine times out of ten are proven to be correct, she doesn't think she can fireball but when we told her how to do it she managed to get a small flame on her first attempt she..." Eric butts in at this point.

"She has the Mori warrior spirit, she is a natural warrior, she has been training with my child Karin, and she held her own getting in some hits and at one point bettering my eldest child, she learnt quickly and was quite formidable, she also has an impressive kill record from when she was human" he stops and looks at me proudly.

"She bettered Karin the Slaughter?" Jeremiah asks incredulously.

"She did, but don't repeat it or I will end you old man" I turn and see Karin walking up with a huge grin.

"Karin how wonderful to see you again," Jeremiah says fondly.

Karin turns and looks at me, "She is good, very good and she has the potential to be exceptional but her gifts have been stifled for years and now they are overwhelming her she is like a loose cannon and she is volatile, she needs to be taught and taught well to harness them all and to know instinctively which ones to use in different situations" she stops and folds her arms, "I will stay and observe so I can assist her when you are not present" she says.

Jeremiah nods, "If you could also spar with her I can see her style and what she needs work on."

I watch as they discuss me and I start to get pissed, Karin notices and smiles, "She has an attitude with us now, her anger is growing because we are talking about her as if she isn't here, she doesn't like that, she is stubborn and headstrong and she needs to know when that is a good thing and when it's not" she glances at Eric as she says this.

Eric steps forward at this point, "She has been such an exceptional newborn, I have been somewhat remiss in teaching her control, that is a situation I intend to rectify."

"Hello I am here, will you stop talking about me as if I am not here" I snap.

Jeremiah smiles, "and there is the feisty attitude I was told about, come on little missy let me see what I'm working with" he walks up to me and grasps my chin and looks deep into my eyes, they widen almost immediately.

"She is...I've never seen so many latent gifts and they are all awakening at the same time it's a wonder she hasn't done something monumentally stupid yet".

"Erm...would last night count as monumentally stupid?" I ask nervously.

Jeremiah's eyebrows rise in question, but before I can continue, Lucien jumps in with an explanation.

"We had this meeting where we persuaded all the Supes to help stop Max. They agreed and Ezekiel and Silas showed up, but unfortunately so did Niall. Sookie started off by shielding me" Lucien pauses as Jeremiah lets out a little laugh and shakes his head, and then looks at Lucien.

"Seriously?" he asks clearly amused.

"I know he's bigger than me, but it was instinctual, I had heard his story and I didn't want Niall to hurt him," I say and I realise how stupid it sounds and I bow my head.

Jeremiah grasps my chin again and makes me look at him, "Hey, that was bravery, and nothing to be ashamed of, some of the biggest guys out there can't fight for shit but then you can get the smallest slightest bits of girls who will fight and fight well to the death" he turns to Lucien, "go on son" he says.

Lucien smiles and gives a little laugh, "well Niall tried to make out he was on our side and that he meant me no harm, but she just jumped in there and she proceeded to tell Niall she didn't believe him and pulled apart everything he said, pointing out why she didn't believe him, she told him she could hear his thoughts and that they didn't match his words.

He kind of whined at her trying to placate her and when he did that she just lost it big time, she ran at him and shoved him and that got him really pissed so he tried to intimidate her, and trust me he was intimidating, he turned on his Fae essential spark light so bright it nearly blinded everyone in the room and his face turned grotesque, but she just stood there and laughed at him and then she goaded him, asking him if he was going to kill her, the way she stood her ground, it was awesome, I mean it was suicidal, but it was also really amazing to watch, Niall had nowhere to go and so he pulled out a dagger to end her, thankfully Eric and Ezekiel reacted, Ezekiel froze Niall so Eric could grab her and then Ezekiel ended Niall".

Jeremiah smiles with satisfaction, "at last" he says, and then takes a shot look at Dermot, "I'm sorry I know he was your father but that is the best news I have heard in years."

Dermot shrugs, "It means nothing to me, I don't care that he is gone, Niall was no real father to me, he always favoured Fintan and I didn't really exist to him."

I feel sad as I hear this and I make sure there and then that I am going to make Dermot feel worthy and wanted.

Jeremiah returns his attention to me, "that would definitely qualify as monumentally stupid" he says. He grasps my chin again, "Let's look at what we have here, do you have your notepad Dermot?" he pauses and Dermot pulls out a notepad and pen.

"Right then, Vampire, female, less than a week old, still some lingering latent humanity but she's such a recent newborn so that's only to be expected at this point in time, all the usual vampire senses, hyper sight, smell, hearing and speed, hyper reflexes but I don't see any specialised vampiric gifts there is nothing there as far as I can see...unless she could have inherited flight from you, Eric, there is something there but I'm not sure, but we'll put that to one side at the moment, and it's something you can investigate with her at a later point" he looks at Eric as he says this.

I glance at Eric who nods, my attention goes back to Jeremiah as he pulls my chin to bring me back to look at him. "Ok Mori traits, the main event is the telepathy which has been present and strong since her human birth and is now rapidly evolving since her Vampiric birth, she has already gained unconscious shielding, that was in place from when she arose, she will be able to read all beings even those who were previously silent to her.

At present I can she can now read Weres and Shifters clearly where they were unclear before, she can read fairies, Demons and vampires".

He pauses and his expression changes and he takes a shot look at Eric, I notice this and I stiffen "and it looks like she will have the ability to enter minds – submerge herself, that is the first step to mind control, not many Mori Demons can master that but you young lady are very nearly there without even knowing it, we will focus on that as that will be very useful in battle if you can manipulate your opponent to do what you want them to".

"Like I did with Ocella" I say and Jeremiah looks at me questioningly, I tell him how it felt like I was in his head and could anticipate his moves before he made them which made him stupidly easy to beat, I realise what I have said as soon as it comes out of my mouth and I glance at Eric nervously.

"Ocella is dead?" Jeremiah asks and Eric nods curtly.

"Karin ended him" he says, "she made an oath the first time she met him that the next time she laid eyes on him she would end him, Pam and Sookie assisted, but the kill was Karin's, he came to end Sookie so I have no concerns about my child taking the action she did, there is no Sire to make reparations to so the matter is now closed."

"Jeremiah smiles widely, "Well, tonight just gets better and better, I feel truly ecstatic now that I know both Niall and Ocella no longer walk the earth", he turns to me, "you say you felt like you were in his head and could anticipate his moves before he made them?"

I nod and he once more turns to Eric, "she is a prime candidate to learn mind control and as I said previously, she is practically there without even realising it, if she had been aware of her skills she could have manipulated Ocella that night."

Eric thinks a moment and then speaks, "I hope that the information learnt tonight will remain here among us, there are those out there who upon hearing this would not consider Sookie special but more a threat."

Jeremiah nods, "I am fully aware of that, please know that the Mori consider someone like Sookie something to be revered but I do understand that Vampires and other beings will possibly react badly to this, so I have taken steps that what is learnt tonight and in all future training sessions will not be able to be repeated outside of this place".

Eric nods satisfied at that, I have no idea what it means but clearly it is something which makes Eric happy, but he still turns to Karin and commands her never to reveal my new gifts to which Karin stares at him furiously.

"Of course, I won't reveal Sookie's gifts to anyone," she snaps.

Jeremiah continues with his examination "Your mind is exceptional so we will work on mental exercises to hone that some more, you do have the ability to fireball but that is in its infancy so we will need to start from scratch with that one and also telekinesis that is very new and untapped at the moment, not even been attempted, right then that seems to be about all of the Mori gifts, she has which is far more than I was anticipating.

Fae traits, this is your area Dermot so make sure you listen carefully, she has very strong and powerful spark."

He looks at me and smiles, "It is far stronger than it should be considering your lineage, your link with the Fae is so tenuous, Fintan who was a Halfling was your grandfather and a human Grandmother, well essentially human, the parents showed no sign of a spark?" he looks towards Eric.

"I have no idea I did not know Sookie then," he says, Desmond steps in at this point.

"Sookie is the only one in Fintan's line who possesses the essential spark, it was always stronger than her lineage would suggest, but Niall said that the spark strengthened significantly after she became a vampire and that she has the spark of a Full Blooded Fairy now," he says.

Jeremiah nods, and peers at me again, "Extraordinary! She has the very new Fae gifts of teleport movement, mimicry and weather manipulation, these are in their infancy and have not yet been attempted and need to be cultivated, are you able to help with that?" he looks at Dermot who nods.

"I possess all those gifts as did my brother so I am able to train her fully to access those skills," he says confidently.

"What else do we have here, oh that's interesting, it's still very faint but the vampiric blood appears to have enhanced it significantly and if we could cultivate it more, well... my dear you could, with training be able to shift, the Shifter blood is negligible but it appears to be gathering strength and evolving as it is feeding on the vampire blood which flows through you."

Eric steps forward and stares at me, "Are you certain?" he asks.

"Positive, this young lady is unique, much like our boy Lucien" He pauses a moment thinking, "Lucien has Vampire, Shifter, Fairy and Mori blood running through his veins Sookie here has Vampire, Fairy, Mori and Shifter blood as well so there is no reason I can see why she shouldn't learn to shift."

I shake my head, "No, we may contain the same bloodlines but they are very different, my parents were both human, I was made a vampire and my Mori and Shifter blood are negligible only appearing in any quantity in your son who was my three times great grandfather and he was a Demon/Shifter hybrid.

Lucien's line is totally different, his mother was a vampire his vampire blood was born in him, not as a result of being turned, his grandfather was a True Shifter and his grandmother was a Full Blooded Mori Demon his great-grandmother was a Full Blood Fairy my grandfather was a Halfling, there is more human in my bloodline than anything else" I say stubbornly.

Jeremiah smiles, "and how do you think Lucien happened in the first place? Vampire blood changes things makes things possible which shouldn't be possible, Vampires cannot conceive and yet here is the evidence in front of you that they do, or at least in this case they did, Vampire blood is known for its enhancing and healing properties and I think it is the vampire blood which has changed things significantly for you".

My head whips around to face Eric, "that is why Max didn't want you to turn me, he knew it would change things" I say.

Jeremiah looks up at Eric, "Do you feed on each other when you..." he trails off.

Eric nods, "we sip from each other during intimate moments," he says, and at this moment I am glad I am a vampire as I'm sure if I was human I would be blushing furiously.

"I ask because I need to see if my theory is correct," he says, and he steps aside, "Eric let her sip from you just a gulp or so, it should be enough to prove or disprove my theory". Eric nods and pulls me close pulling my back against his front he wraps his arms around me and offers me his wrist, I put it to my mouth and bite, I hear Eric's moan and I feel him begin to harden as I take a couple of gulps before I lick the wound clean. I look up and smile at him, I can feel how aroused this has made him and I push back against him to let him know I feel the same, Eric kisses my neck and his hands begin to roam restlessly.

Jeremiah approaches again "No time for hanky-panky now, come here and let me see."

Embarrassment fills me again "What exactly do you see and how do you do it?" I ask.

He laughs, "I don't physically see as such, I look into your eyes and as I do so your body talks to me, that is the only way I can describe it, it tells me of the secrets it hides, I sense the abilities and their strength, it's a Mori Demon thing" he says and then he smiles, "as I thought, it is your blood Eric" he says triumphantly.

"But" I begin.

Jeremiah shakes his head, "We suspected as much when Sia had Lucien but we weren't totally sure and we had no other way to confirm it, but now seeing this it is clear, as you rightly say Lucien was born with her blood which should make a difference, being born not made, but Sia was still a relatively young vampire only around 200 years old when she had Lucien, you are getting the same results if not better just by being made because Eric is older – much older, and his blood is more powerful as a result of his age, he is the third generation he is only three steps from the first vampire ever created, so his blood is potent and it is awakening and enhancing all your gifts, there is no harm in pursuing this if you have the ability to change then it is only an asset if not, you haven't lost anything" he shrugs pragmatically.

My head is whirling with all this information, but Jeremiah is relentless, after dropping that bombshell on me he dives straight into training, he watches me spar with Karin and says nothing as she mercilessly fights me.

Eventually he tells us to stop and he shakes his head, "I cannot teach her anything, her instincts are unbelievable, I can only suggest regular sparring with different parties so she gets stretched and variation, perhaps get her sparring with Thalia that will be an education for her, do you think she would agree to such a request?"

Karin sniggers and Eric looks amused, "I can ask, but Thalia..." he trails off and Jeremiah smiles.

"Yeah we all know what Thalia is like," he says.

Jeremiah turns and looks at me, "We will begin your Mori training tomorrow, tonight we will concentrate on your Fae gifts as they are largely untapped.

I nod and turn towards Dermot. He smiles kindly at me, "We'll start with controlling your teleporting, get that gift under control so you don't teleport when you don't mean to.

He makes me stand in front of him and I close my eyes, he tells me to empty my mind, I do as he asks and then he sends Eric across the yard, he points to him and asks me to move to him. I close my eyes again and I hear the popping noise a moment later I am next to Eric. Dermot shows me little ways of controlling myself so that I won't teleport by accident. I quickly pick them up and he beams at me.

"She is such a fast learner," he says.

Then we have a go at mimicry, this proves to be harder, I have to visualise the person I want to mimic and imagine myself as them, he makes me try to mimic Karin I try hard but the best I can do is change my hair and my face alters slightly. I am disappointed but I am assured that this is a tremendous success for a first attempt and fairies can take years to learn this skill.

"I don't have years if I want to infiltrate Max's circle" I point out.

Jeremiah smiles at me, "then we will concentrate on improving that skill" he says.

I have a go at weather manipulation next, I am told to focus on the sky and imagine the weather I want.

"Obviously you won't request the sunshine," Eric says nervously.

"It is weather manipulation, not time manipulation, she won't be able to turn night into daytime," Jeremiah says wryly.

I giggle at that and stare at the sky I concentrate on a cloud and think of snow, partly I am thinking about Eric and his time in Northern Europe when he was human but also because I have never personally seen snow before, living in Louisiana all my life we don't really get any. It has been known to snow but I have never witnessed any.

"I want it to snow," I say.

For what seems like the longest time nothing happens and I start to get discouraged, but I continue to will it to snow, then I feel it, cold and wet snowflakes starting to fall silently around us.

"Fucking hell she did it," Lucien says.

I glance at Eric and he is watching the snow falling with something akin to joy on his face, it distracts me and almost immediately the snow stops.

"Shit" I mutter and look at Dermot who is smiling widely.

"That was astounding, to manage that on your first attempt, that was ...I'm speechless," he says and shakes his head in disbelief.

The rest of the night is spent practising these new skills and by the time Jeremiah, Desmond and Dermot leave I have pretty much, got weather manipulation sussed and can command rain, hail, snow and wind at will, I even managed to get one flash of lightning which made Dermot beam with pride at me. I can control my teleporting skills and pop at will now but I am still having problems with mimicry.

"You have done exceedingly well Sookie you have surpassed everyone's expectations of how well you were going to perform". Dermot says kindly.

Jeremiah smiles proudly at me, "when you rise tonight we will work on your Mori skills and hone them as we have done your Fae abilities. We will then spend the next couple of weeks or so training you so you will know instinctively which, to use in which situation, for example why fireball someone if something more subtle like drenching them in a rainstorm would be enough to distract them, but that is an extreme example" he says.

"I can see what you are getting at," I say.

Dermot kisses me gently on the mouth which makes Eric growl, and Dermot steps back nervously.

"I mean no disrespect, this is a traditional way for the Fae to greet and say farewell to each other" he explains.

"Remember first and foremost she is a vampire and she is also my wife!" Eric snarls.

Dermot nods and bows in apology to Eric. Jeremiah hugs me whilst giving Eric an 'I don't give a shit what you think' look.

"We'll see you tonight when you rise," he says.

We say our goodbyes and as they vanish into the night Eric holds out his hand to me.

"You are exhausted it has been a busy night and you have achieved so much, let us go to rest."

I nod, Lucien has already gone to bed and Karin has vanished, I do feel kind of wiped out and I silently follow Eric inside.


	19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

The next night I am anxious to get started on my training and after going hunting, as usual, I am waiting eagerly with Eric and Lucien, for Jeremiah and Dermot to arrive. I am practically bouncing with anticipation when Jeremiah arrives, but this time he is alone, I look around for Dermot and Desmond.

After greeting Eric and Lucien, Jeremiah sees me looking and speaks before I can ask.

"Tonight we are concentrating on your Mori gifts, Dermot's presence isn't necessary, so he didn't join us, Desmond was needed here to help with the masking of Dermot's scent, so he isn't needed either, but he will be joining us later to observe and maybe assist with some aspects of your training."

I nod in understanding and Jeremiah looks closely at me, "Have you fed?" he asks.

"I have" I confirm with a smile, as I recall the hunt I went on earlier with Eric.

"Did you feed well?" he pushes.

I nod confidently, Eric had made sure I had fed until I was totally replete, I had fed from 6 different humans, and not one of them was aware of what had happened to them.

"Good, because what we are going to do tonight will take a lot out of you, I would say more than what you did last night, we are going to explore mind control, and it requires a lot of effort to take over the mind of another being, you will definitely feel the effects afterwards and you may need some blood if it becomes too much, also we will need a willing subject for you to practice upon."

Lucien immediately steps forward, "I don't mind if she practices on me."

Before I can say that I can't hear Lucien, Jeremiah smiles, "Good," he says, then pulling me closer he points at Lucien, "First of all I need you to access his mind as you would if you were just going to listen to his thoughts.

I nod, knowing that this is not going to last long, but I am shocked to discover that immediately I can hear Lucien's mind, he is wondering what is going happen and what I am going to do to him, I am startled as it is totally different to the last time I listened in on him.

"You're different now," I blurt out.

"What do you mean?" Jeremiah asks immediately.

"The night when Lucien first turned up at our house, he knocked on the door and I automatically listened to find out what was out there, I got a Vampire hole with an image of flames in the middle, it was like nothing I had ever experienced before, no thoughts but just this picture of flames in the middle of a void, well, not a void as the flames were there, but you know what I mean, but now I hear everything he is thinking as clearly as if he is shouting at me."

As I say this, I realise right there and then, that I _have_ heard his thoughts before today, I first heard him and his rather colourful thoughts at the meeting of Supes, when Ezekiel and Silas arrived, but with everything else that was going on that night, I don't think that fact registered with me at the time.

Jeremiah nods, "Your gift is evolving, we established that fact last night, alright Lucien think something."

Lucien grins wickedly and flashes me a salacious look which doesn't go unnoticed by either Eric or Jeremiah.

Jeremiah rolls his eyes and Eric growls warningly, "Let me rephrase that, Lucien, think something appropriate and clean," Jeremiah adds frowning at him.

Lucien's smile fades "Where's the fun in that?" he mutters.

Eric steps closer to Lucien, "if you wish to keep breathing, you will do as he says" he growls, Lucien laughs and holds up his hands.

"Ok, I'm just pulling your leg, Eric, clean wholesome thoughts only, coming right up," he says.

"Pulling my leg?" Eric asks in confusion and Lucien smiles.

"Joking, winding you up, yanking your chain," Lucien explains and Eric nods understanding immediately what he means.

"Shall we continue?" Jeremiah says gruffly, and we both nod in agreement.

A moment later I am doubled over and laughing helplessly, Eric and Jeremiah are staring at me as if I am crazy.

"I'm sorry, but he is singing a song in his head," I say as I try and take control of myself.

Jeremiah rolls his eyes again and sighs in exasperation, "Lucien, for god's sake, will you take this seriously, just because you couldn't master the art of mind control, stop trying to sabotage Sookie," he snaps irritably.

Lucien looks at me apologetically, "I'm not, honestly I'm not, I'm sorry, I just have no idea what to think, it's hard when you are commanded to think something, and I panicked" he says.

"I will have to volunteer instead, but I was hoping to avoid this, look at me Sookie," Jeremiah says as he shakes his head in frustration. I wonder what he means by hoping to avoid this, but I don't say anything and just do as he asks.

I listen and get Jeremiah's thoughts, he is thinking about sitting in a boat on a lake.

"You are thinking about sitting in a boat on a lake, you are fishing" I am shocked when that thought changes and now he is clearing thinking about staking Eric, all my protective instincts go into overdrive, my fangs drop and I don't hesitate I just hurl myself at him, he catches me effortlessly and holds me off my feet at arm's length as I wriggle and snarl. His strength is unbelievable as he just stares at me waiting for me to calm down.

Eric and Lucien are also staring in shock at my reaction. Eventually, Jeremiah speaks to me.

"Sookie calm down, I will not harm Eric, I wanted to see your reaction to the thought of harm coming to your loved ones, in this case, Eric and you totally lost control Sookie, and you cannot do that."

He looks at Eric, "You really need to focus more on the control aspect of her vampiric training Eric, when you are threatened in any way she loses all reason, and she becomes practically feral."

Eric is watching and wordlessly nods. I feel him sending calm and serenity through the bond to help me gain control but I also feel tinges of something else…embarrassment… and shame, this sobers me immediately, as the last thing I ever want, is for Eric to be ashamed of me and embarrassed of me.

"Sookie calm down, Jeremiah is not going to harm me, don't make me command you," Eric says coldly.

The thought of having to be commanded to be calm takes all the remaining fight out of me, and I almost sag, Jeremiah smiles and finally sets me back down on my feet when he is certain that I am no further threat.

He smiles and looks at Eric once more, "Just the threat of a makers command brings her back into line, that is interesting and goes to show just how feisty she is, she can't bear the thought of having her free will removed and yet it ironically has the effect of bringing her to heel," he says, then he turns his attention back to me.

"It will also make you responsive to learn the control you need, that is the most important thing Sookie, going off half-cocked at the slightest hint of trouble, like you did just then will end up getting you and those around you killed, you have to stop and think you have to analyse situations Sookie, it is honourable that you wish to protect Eric so fiercely, but putting yourself in danger to do so will do nobody any good, you stop then you analyse the situation and how grave the threat is, you choose which gift will be the most appropriate for that situation and then and only then when you are sure of your success, do you strike - SACS" he says.

"I beg your pardon?" I ask.

Jeremiah smiles again, "SACS, S-A-C-S, Stop, Analyse, Choose and Strike, do you understand?" I get it now and I nod.

"It won't take you long to master it, I am going teach you to access my mind and manipulate the thoughts I am having of killing Eric and change them into something else."

He glances at Eric, "are you prepared to participate, as you are a strong motivator for Sookie, you have my word that I won't harm you but I will need to come at you as if I am attacking you for Sookie to have something to work with, and so I don't need you attacking me either?" Eric glances at me with a look of warning and then wordlessly nods.

"I will participate" Eric says simply.

"Ok Sookie I need you to access my thoughts, and as you listen I want you to imagine being there among them."

I do as he asks and without any effort at all I get the strange sensation like I had with Ocella, I see Jeremiah's eyes widen at this, he looks really surprised, so I am guessing he can feel me somehow in his head, but no other reaction comes from him.

I can hear Jeremiah's thoughts and at the moment they are benign but I can anticipate that these are going to change to something sinister and as I feel the change I try hard to stop him accessing the dagger in his back pocket."

It is hard, he is fighting me and trying to prevent me from doing it and it is like he is erecting a shield, a kind of bubble around his thoughts but with an intense effort I force my will on to him and blast through the shield. I feel his surprise at what I have done, but I focus and continue.

He is walking towards Eric with his dagger ready to attack, but I focus hard to try and will him to stop and a moment later he stops, he flings the dagger across the yard and gets down on his knees. I stop and I fall to my knees completely exhausted by the effort it took to make him do that.

"Wow," Jeremiah says staring at me in awe.

He looks at Eric, "Get her some blood quickly she is exhausted, that...that was... phenomenal".

He gets to his feet and gently pulls me to mine, I wobble and sag in his arms, clinging to him unable to hold myself upright, Jeremiah sinks to the ground again and sitting once more and he pulls me into his lap, and I just want to go to sleep. My head lolls against his shoulder. A moment later I feel myself being gently lifted and I am now in Eric's lap he pushes a bottle to my lips and urges me to drink, I open my mouth and he pours the Trueblood down my throat and I instinctively swallow, no longer bothered by the overly metallic taste, because at this moment the synthetic blood tastes like nectar. When I have finished I feel him push his wrist at me.

"You still feel weak Sookie, so take some of mine. The Trueblood won't nourish you as fresh blood will and as we don't have a donor available we will have to improvise, you need something better than Trueblood" he whispers and so obediently I nuzzle his wrist and sink my fangs in, as soon as Eric's blood hits my tongue I start to gulp and suck greedily, it's as if I haven't fed at all.

"Enough," he says sharply after a moment and I pull away healing the wounds on his wrist.

"Better?" Eric asks looking at me anxiously. I nod as I wipe my mouth on my hand.

"Thank you" I whisper to him.

Eric reaches beside him and quickly drinks down a bottle of Trueblood and I wonder if I took too much blood from him.

"Your blood is more than something better, your blood is...wow!" I say, I feel rejuvenated and ready to go again. I look up at Jeremiah who is standing a few feet away staring at me.

"Better?" he asks, repeating Eric's question of a moment ago but I know he is asking me if I can now continue with my training and I nod confidently.

"Good, as you can see it will take a lot out of you doing this, but the fact you managed to get me on my knees and without my dagger shows just how good you are, that was your first attempt and I have to confess, I was blocking you with everything I had, also you shouldn't have been able to penetrate my mind as easily as you did in the first place, as I have primary shields in place to stop exactly what I asked you to do, I never anticipated you getting past them at all, let alone that quickly and easily, and so I had to put up secondary shields and I fought and fought hard which is what wiped you out".

I stare at him in shock I didn't realise that was the case.

"If you were facing someone who wasn't aware of what you were doing, well, they would be a puppet for you to play with as you wish," Jeremiah looks at Eric.

"I really need to put her against someone who won't instinctively fight her and try to block her as I did."

"I will volunteer" we look around and see Desmond strolling towards us.

Jeremiah smiles widely, "Excellent timing Desmond, your little ward is phenomenal, she has just had me on my knees and made me discard my own dagger" he points to the dagger lying a few feet away.

Mr Cataliades looks at me in shock, then returns his attention to Jeremiah "But you have shields, you are impervious to mind control" he says.

Jeremiah nods, "Or so I thought, I honestly thought she had no hope, but I had to put myself against her as Lucien wasn't helping and only succeeded in making Sookie fall about with laughter."

"I'm sorry," Lucien says sadly and I smile encouragingly at him.

"Don't worry, I can understand what you meant, when you are ordered to think something, your mind goes totally blank" I say kindly.

Jeremiah nods in agreement, "Forget it Lucien" he says gruffly and then turns his attention back to Desmond.

"She got past all of my initial shields with no problem at all, I wiped her out though when I put up secondary ones and fought against her, I nearly knocked her unconscious, but the fact is, she got through those secondary shields and managed to bend me to her will and that is incredible".

"What were you doing?" Mr Cataliades asks.

"I thought about harming Eric, I thought about approaching him and stabbing him with my dagger," he says.

Desmond smiles, and gives a little snort of laughter before shaking his head, "and you seriously thought she wouldn't respond to that with everything she had? She is devoted to him, he is not only her Sire, but he is also her husband and her mate" he says incredulously.

I wrinkle my nose at the word mate, it makes us sound like a couple of horny animals, but nobody notices my reaction.

Jeremiah laughs, "The first time I thought about harming Eric, after I dropped my shields so she could hear my thoughts, she totally lost it and flew at me with her fangs down, so I had some idea, I wonder now if dropping my shields then was even necessary, as she got into my head as if she had every right to be there."

"Perhaps if I mix things up a bit", Desmond goes to the dagger and picks it up pushing it into his belt. "Sookie look at me, focus on me," he says.

I do so and once again I easily access his mind and slip into it, and I get thoughts of him planning to hurt Eric and I fight him but without warning his thoughts change and now he is going to hurt Lucien, then Jeremiah and then me, his mind is bouncing around hopping from one to another then he goes back to Eric and he no longer is going to hurt him, his thoughts are changing on a dime and I can't get a grip on them to control them.

I pause as his changing thoughts are confusing me and I focus and I dig deeper to try and anticipate the next move from him, and I can start to see his thought patterns and movements, it is almost as though I can how his thought alters slightly in the moment he decides to change direction, I watch and I focus on it, as soon as I get that I know I have got him, as I home in on this moment I grab it and force my will on to him to take the dagger from his belt and I will him to approach Jeremiah he does so, I make him hand over the dagger to Jeremiah and then kneel in front of him and bow his head and I watch as Desmond gets down on his knees in front of a shocked Jeremiah, best of all, I don't feel wiped out this time and I beam at the two astonished Demons.

"How was that?" I ask nervously.

"Sookie that was...I'm speechless," Desmond says as he rises to his feet. "The way you did that, it felt like it was entirely my will to do it, it did not feel like I was being controlled".

I carefully check the thoughts of the two Demons and I know immediately that I have shocked them and unnerved them. They thought I would probably be able to do it eventually, a few weeks or so down the line, but not tonight on my first go and they never expected me to do it as well and comprehensively as I have done, and Jeremiah is still smarting from me being able to control him at all.

"Do you feel tired?" Jeremiah asks and I shake my head.

"No, it wasn't like last time, I feel fine," I say.

"I see no reason to continue with this line of training as Sookie is clearly proficient in this. I have already seen her fighting skills and can teach her nothing new there" he glances at Eric, "Have you approached Thalia yet to spar with Sookie?"

Eric shakes his head, "No, not yet" he says.

Jeremiah nods, "Right then, I'll just leave the thought of working on her control with you Eric, as that really does need some attention"

Eric nods but doesn't say a word, and Jeremiah returns his attention to me once more and I wonder what is going to happen now.

"Ok then, now we'll have a look at telekinesis and fireballing, you had a go at fireballing already I understand?" he asks me.

"Yes but I only got a really small flame," I say.

"Sookie, if that was your first attempt that was more than anyone would expect," Jeremiah says kindly.

He pulls me closer and grasps my hand holding it so it is palm up, "Right the secret is in the negative energy you produce, so you need to look deep inside and focus on some of the worst memories you have, the things which upset you the most, that made you angriest, as you need the anger to produce the fire, do you understand?"

I nod and as Jeremiah lets me go I hold out my hand.

I pause, "how many times can I use these memories, as they are pretty powerful, but if I use them will I be able to access them again or will they be used up?" I ask.

Desmond steps forward once more, "It's not a skill which takes the anger or the memories from you, it just uses it and feeds from it, as long you as you feel a degree of anger when you access those memories then they will remain useful."

"Ok, I know exactly what memory I am going to use," I say grimly and I take a shot look at Eric, I am going to use the memories Ocella forced into my head as they make me angrier than I have ever known, I concentrate as I access those vile memories and the thought of what my husband endured with his sadistic sire makes the anger start to build rapidly.

I stare at my hand and focus the anger I felt at what Ocella showed me and made me feel on the palm of my hand. Almost immediately with a loud whooshing sound, an enormous fireball appears in my hand and engulfs it, not a small flame like last time, a huge glowing inferno of a fireball which is burning with intense white fire.

Jeremiah and Desmond both take a step back in shock.

"Holy fucking shit!" Lucien exclaims, "That didn't happen last time!" he adds.

Jeremiah immediately tries to take control of the situation, "Sookie, focus, everyone else move back away from her and stay behind her, Sookie listen to me, I need you to focus on a point somewhere, preferably nowhere near us or the house and then flick your wrist to make the fireball travel to it," Jeremiah says nervously.

"Everyone stand back and keep your distance" he repeats, I can hear the fear and warning in his voice.

I glance around and see the scorched tree that Desmond hit previously, I look at Eric, "I think I'm going to hit that tree" I say. Eric just nods staring nervously at the fire in my hand.

I focus on the tree and flick my wrist and almost immediately the tree explodes.

"I'm so sorry," I say, horrified at what I have just done.

Eric smiles at my reaction, "I never liked that tree anyway," he says dismissively.

I look sheepishly at Desmond and Jeremiah who are both openly gaping at me. "I didn't expect something that big," I say.

"What on earth did you think of, that could produce that much anger?" Jeremiah asks as he examines the smoking stump which is all that is left of the once large tree and the singed smoking shrubbery surrounding it.

"It was something bad which happened to Eric, and which made me really angry," I say.

Eric knows immediately what memories I had accessed and his gaze on me softens. I feel him sending love and comfort through the bond and I smile at him.

Jeremiah shakes his head, "I think that's the understatement of the century, really angry doesn't even begin to be adequate for that reaction," he says.

"Sorry" I mutter again.

"No not at all child, that was superb, but once again though, it's a question of control, you need to focus on your control, as not every situation will require a fireball the size of a small nuclear bomb! Maybe if we try that again and this time focus on something which doesn't make you quite so incensed" Desmond says to me.

"Ok," I say, I watch as everyone quickly moves behind me and keeps a good distance away, I look around "anything else in the garden you don't like Eric?" I ask.

He laughs, "You can hit whatever you like lover," he says.

I choose another tree which looks as though it is dying anyway and hold out my hand, this time I focus on Bill and the irritation and anger he caused me, this time a flame appears and slowly grows much like the fireball Desmond produced when he demonstrated the skill, when I am happy with the size I focus on the tree and flick my wrist, a scorch mark appears on the trunk and applause breaks out behind me.

"Much better Sookie," Jeremiah says proudly, he walks towards me. "Shall we have a go at Telekinesis now, I don't doubt you will be able to do this, as the principle is similar to mind control but with inanimate objects and as you have such powerful mind control this should be a walk in the park for you."

I nod, and watch as Jeremiah lays his dagger down in front of me, "Ok Sookie same principle as mind control, now move it" he steps back.

I look at the dagger and will it to move, it does so immediately, I smile this is just too easy, I will the dagger to shoot across the garden and into the scorched tree, the dagger moves and embeds itself into the tree and I smile smugly at it.

"Well that was pretty conclusive," Jeremiah says as he crosses the garden to retrieve his dagger.

He walks back towards us tucking his dagger away.

"Ok then, I am at a loss, I have nothing left, she just needs to learn control and establish which gifts to use and when and how powerful a message she wishes to make when she uses them. This will come with maturity and guidance but I can't see anything else I can teach her. Dermot and I will return to practice the skills we have taught her, especially mimicry as she seemed to have problems with that one... unless" he pauses and thinks. "If we try and cultivate her Shifter blood, it may make her gift of mimicry easier to master".

I stare at him, "I...I" I protest, shaking my head firmly.

Jeremiah cocks his head to one side, "I get the distinct feeling you are shying away from learning the art of shifting" he says.

I nod, "I saw Lucien shift, he was consumed inside a fireball, he is a Vampire by birth and along with his other bloodline features appears to make him impervious to fire, I am a made Vampire and we are highly flammable."

Jeremiah nods, "You are also part Mori – did your hand get engulfed in flames when you produced that epic fireball?" he asks me, and I realise that the fireball was so big my hand was inside it, I look at my hand there is no marks or burns on it, this makes me question my fears.

"So you don't think..." I begin but I fade off as I see Jeremiah shaking his head and smiling kindly at me.

I look towards Eric for guidance, "What do you think?" I ask my husband carefully.

He smiles at me, "You have proved you are unique and amazing, I should like to see if you are able to shift and also if it helps with your mimicry skills which you will need, if you want to continue with your plans, I see no harm in attempting it."

Eric's words give me the confidence to try.

"Ok I'll try," I say quietly.

Jeremiah smiles, "Good, now just so we are clear on this, we are not sure if anything _will_ happen at all, as your shifter blood is so very weak, but as you seem to be able to surprise us at every turn, and also knowing what Lucien turns into, I suggest we make plenty of room for this," he says.

He leads me into the middle of the garden, "Ok Sookie I need you to crouch down and look deep inside yourself and locate your Shifter blood and concentrate on it, concentrate and let it come forward and consume you."

I nod and close my eyes, "I can't find it" I say after a few moments of searching.

Jeremiah smiles and walks over to me he takes my hand, "It is too weak for you to access, I can only just see it but I know what I am looking for, and that is with the Vampire blood enhancement, you don't know what you are searching for, so you are working blind".

He thinks a moment and then he appears to have a light bulb moment, the next thing I realise he is kneeling in front of me, and he tilts his neck.

"Feed on me Sookie, I have strong Shifter and Mori blood with my heritage, so this may help strengthen your Shifter blood, and help you to find and utilise it, but if it does not, it will also enhance your Mori skills which are no hardship."

I hesitate and glance at Eric for guidance, who nods in encouragement, I lean forward and bite. The Demon/Shifter blood on my tongue tastes bitter and sharp, Eric's blood is so sweet the difference is stark. I force myself to swallow it and my nose unconsciously curls at the bitter taste, I force myself to drink a couple more gulps before I can stand it no longer and I pull away, healing the wounds I made.

Jeremiah laughs at my expression, "Demon blood is notoriously bitter, it is truly unpleasant and that is a good thing as it makes us an uncommon choice for a Vampire meal and that along with the sharp tang of Shifter, I assume my blood was really quite foul".

He looks at me once more and smiles widely, clearly happy with what he could see "You should be able to recognise your Shifter blood now" he says.

I crouch down once more and search inside me, almost immediately I feel the differences, the Mori Demon side of me is much stronger than it was before and I notice something new, I realise this must be the Shifter bloodline, I focus on it and try and do what Jeremiah had instructed me to do. I try hard and I feel myself start to change, I feel my body altering, I suddenly feel frightened and I want to stop, but I hear Jeremiah talking to me and Lucien as well they are talking to me in my head encouraging me to persevere.

Jeremiah's voice fills my head, _you've got it, well done, now don't be afraid, go with it Sookie, keep going, you are changing, it will feel a little uncomfortable but stay with it. _

Then I hear Lucien offering his encouragement, _you are amazing Sookie, you are changing fucking hell you are magnificent. _I carry on my eyes closed tight until I hear Jeremiah again this time he is speaking out loud.

"Well done Sookie, its ok you've done it, you've shifted, you can open your eyes, can someone fetch a mirror?" he says.

I open my eyes, and I am looking at the world from a different perspective, I am much lower down, I look down at myself and I am no longer a human-shaped body, I feel much smaller and I see that I appear to have the body of a bird, a bird the size of an eagle, perhaps a bit bigger, I have golden feathers with flecks of red and orange, I don't have arms now I have wings, I open them and flap them, that feels good it feels like stretching.

Eric approaches me with a mirror in his hand, Karin is at his side holding a robe and she has a look of total disbelief on her face. Eric holds up the mirror and I see my reflection, the only thing which I recognise as me in this magnificent bird in front of me is my eyes. I search for Lucien and open my mouth but no words come out.

_It's ok Sookie, don't panic, you can't talk when you are in your Shifter form, you need to calm down focus on either me or Jeremiah, as we are the only other Shifters in the area and think about what you want to say and project your thoughts to us _I look at Lucien and think the words _what am I?_

I see Lucien smile "She just asked me, what am I?" he says out loud to everyone, he turns his attention to me, "you are a Phoenix Sookie and a very beautiful one too," he says.

I look at Jeremiah who is gaping at me open-mouthed. "You are stunning," he says eventually. Then I look at Eric who hasn't said a word but who is just gazing at me intently.

_Erm I'd like to be me again _I think urgently, I hear Jeremiah pull himself together and instruct me on how to shift back. _Just do exactly the same as you did before but concentrate on your Vampire self. _I do as he asks and I feel myself changing.

When I open my eyes I immediately look in the mirror Eric is holding and I am relieved to see I look normal again, Karin steps forward and quickly covers me with the robe and I realise that I am naked.

"That was...Interesting" I say lamely, I'm not totally sure I liked that experience, as I pull the robe tightly around me.

Lucien bursts out laughing at my words. I am concentrating on Eric though, he still hasn't said a word and if he doesn't like this new part of me, I won't be shifting again.

"What do you think about all this?" I ask him.

"You are astounding, you never fail to amaze me Sookie, I am honoured and blessed to be your maker and your husband, I am unworthy of being entrusted with such a unique being and my love and pride for you overwhelms me," he says.

I don't hesitate and throw myself into his arms at that, the relief is unbelievable that he doesn't consider me a freak, I had spent all my life feeling like a freak and to have this new ability brought back all those insecurities and the last thing I wanted was for Eric to turn against me.

"So you still love me?" I whisper to him he stares at me in bewildered shock.

"Sookie nothing would stop me from loving you" he whispers equally quietly and his hands grip me tightly.

I hear Jeremiah clear his throat, "I think we will leave it there for tonight, she must be overwhelmed with everything that has happened, it's a lot to take in, we'll get going, let you talk about it and discuss what this means. I'll return tomorrow with Dermot and we'll work on your mimicry skills as they will need to be good if you are planning to infiltrate Max and the zombies".

I nod at him "thank you," I say quietly and Jeremiah and Desmond smile kindly at me.

"No Sookie, thank you," Jeremiah says.

With that, they turn and leave us. Lucien comes up to me and touches my shoulder.

"Are you ok? After the first time I shifted I felt a little strange?" he says.

I shake my head, "No I feel fine, slightly overwhelmed by everything but ok, I'm more relieved than anything that Eric still accepts me even though I did what I did."

Karin is staring at me I start to worry, "Karin?" I ask.

A slow smile begins to tug at her lips and slowly fills her face, "Sookie you are awesome" she says eventually, and I sag with relief. "My sister is a Phoenix that is unreal" she adds.

"Will I need to feed on Jeremiah every time I want to access my Shifter bloodline?" I ask looking from Eric to Lucien.

Lucien shakes his head, "No, now you have accessed it once it will naturally evolve and become an active part of you, you didn't know about it before so it lay dormant and invisible, now you are aware of it and have used it, a change has occurred which will only improve and strengthen".

"Ok," I say, "I'm not sure I like the fact I can't speak when I am in Shifter form," I say.

"You'll get used to it, if there are any Shifters or Weres in the vicinity you will be able to converse with them through their minds".

"That is how you managed to talk to me the night you showed yourself in your dragon form and I heard you," I say.

Lucien nods, "I wondered how you managed to hear me, but I assumed it was our similar mixed heritage, but it becomes obvious now," he says.

"I need to process all this and I want some time with my husband," I say and look at Eric meaningfully.

Lucien and Karin nod and go leaving me and Eric alone.

"Are you alright Sookie?" Eric asks me.

"Yeah, it's just a lot to take in, you are sure this doesn't change anything between us," I say.

Eric pulls me into his arms, "This changes nothing" he says.


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

Over the space of the next couple of weeks, Dermot, Desmond and Jeremiah turn up to train me every night a short while after we rise, and don't leave until a couple of hours before dawn. Sometimes Eric would stay and watch, but I have noticed that towards the end of this week he has slipped away shortly after the Demons and Fairy arrived, but he always returned before they left so we could spend some time together before we died for the day.

During the time we have spent together, Eric has worked diligently on my control and he has told me that I am learning quickly, he has told me many times that he is proud of me and that he is astounded by my progress.

Sadly, it appears that I don't seem to have inherited the gift of flight from either my Fae blood or from Eric, and despite the fact, he has tried numerous times over the past week to instruct me how to do it my feet haven't left the ground. So, the only time I would be able to fly with my husband is if I shift into the Phoenix. Eric had smiled at me and told me that it doesn't matter and with the multitude of gifts I do have, to be able to fly could be considered greedy. I had agreed with this up to a point, however, I can't help being a little disappointed as the idea of flying through the sky with Eric was a pleasant one, but on the plus side, riding on his back is no hardship.

I can now easily and confidently fireball, and I can control the size of the fireball I produce at will, from something the size of a ping-pong ball right up to the monstrosity I had produced that first night where I had destroyed half of the garden.

Silas had turned up one night to see me in action and he had also watched me shift into the Phoenix. I don't have any ability to change into anything else, all I do is shift and I can't control what I turn into, Lucien had told me that it was the same for him, he could do it but had no choice about what he became but it was always a dragon. I am still not comfortable with shifting and although I have perfected the gift and although it has undoubtedly helped me with my mimicry skills it is not something I intend to use very often, if at all.

I have honed and perfected my Fairy skills I can now create whatever weather I wish and I even managed to summon a small tornado one night. I still find mimicry difficult but I can do it and do it passably enough to fool someone for long enough, and as I pointed out to everyone, even if I am discovered as a fake, my other skills and abilities make me rather hard to kill.

During many of my training sessions Thalia had appeared, she had never approached or spoke to any of us or even acknowledged us, it was only by chance I spotted her there one night just watching me silently from the shadows taking in my abilities and since that first time I have seen her there numerous times since only to look again later and find she had gone.

I know that Eric has asked her repeatedly to spar with me, and at first she had refused point blank until Eric had told her of my other abilities and how Jeremiah had been working with me to perfect them, it was at this point she had started to come to watch.

I wonder if she is watching to see if I am as good as Eric makes out as she had made it very clear, to begin with, that she wasn't going waste her time sparring with baby who knew nothing, if she was going to fight and share her skills she wanted someone who would make it worth her while.

He had persistently told her it would be more than worth her while but as yet she is still undecided, Eric conveniently did not mention the mind control to Thalia, the only Vampires to know of that particular gift are Eric, Pam and Karin and my sisters have both been commanded by Eric never to divulge its existence to anyone, ever.

Lucien assured me he was unable to divulge his knowledge of the existence of my gift either, There was something to do with the Mori blood which made it impossible for them to identify Mori Warriors with the ability to control the mind of others for obvious reasons, as a Mori Warrior didn't want the enemy to know that they were in danger of having their minds controlled. Dermot is also unaware of the extent of my mind control abilities, apart from that first evening when Jeremiah had said I _could_ have the ability, he isn't aware of how much I can now actually do, as he hadn't been present when we had practised it and I realise that was probably deliberate on Jeremiah's part, because as much as he liked the Fairy he didn't totally trust him and so he had decided he didn't need to know, that I could do it and was exceptionally good at it.

Tonight though, at this moment in time and for the first time since I became a vampire, I am totally alone, Eric had to go to Fangtasia and Karin went with him, and Lucien has also gone somewhere, but Eric assured me that he would not be long and that he could sense any danger through our bond and would be by my side within minutes, I wasn't too concerned though as I knew Jeremiah was coming and would be here soon. I am drawn from my thoughts as I hear my name being called. I turn and am surprised see Eric strolling towards me and even more surprised to note that with him is Sam, Alcide, Calvin and Jason. When he reaches me he wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his chest and kisses my head tenderly.

"I told you I wouldn't be long" he whispers in my ear as he nuzzles against me.

I marvel at how he shows clearly just how much he loves me in front of others, and he doesn't care that it could be construed as a sign of weakness on his part. I automatically tilt my head back and offer him my mouth which he takes willingly sending desire shooting through me, and I feel lust radiating through the bond from him as he kisses me passionately, which I more than return, he has only been gone a ridiculously short amount of time but I am behaving as if I haven't seen him for months.

I hear a cough, and with a jolt that effectively pours cold water all over my desire, I remember our visitors and reluctantly I pull away from my husband, and I smile at my unexpected guests and greet them warmly as they stand watching our little public display, I amuses me to note that they all look a little uncomfortable.

"Hi, guys what are you doing here?" I ask as I walk up to Jason and hug him and then turn to Sam and give him a brief hug.

I nod my head in greeting at Alcide and Calvin and they both nod back.

"We heard that you had been training with Jeremiah," Calvin says and he looks around.

"I have and he is coming again tonight but he hasn't arrived yet," I say, just as I say it I spot him coming towards us and I point. "Speak of the devil," I say and the men all turn as one to see Jeremiah approach.

"Eric told us he had unlocked your shifting ability, I had no idea you had that much Shifter blood, Cher," Sam says almost in an accusing tone.

I shake my head, "Neither did I, and you saw my diluted bloodline, Sam, you were the one who pointed it out to me, but Jeremiah helped me unlock it and now, well I can shift if I want to, but I can't say it is an ability which appeals to me" I say with a shrug.

"What sort of Shifter are you?" Alcide asks curiously.

I smile, "A unique one like Lucien," I say.

"A dragon?!" Calvin exclaims staring at me in shock.

I shake my head, "No, nothing as impressive as that, but I think Lucien picked a dragon just to show off" I say, looking towards Lucien who has also appeared, and he grins at me as he hears what I say.

"Well, what do you shift into?" Alcide asks.

"A Phoenix," I say and the men gasp in surprise.

"But you are a Vampire," Sam says.

"And?" I ask.

"Phoenix's are associated with fire. Vampires are flammable, highly flammable, fire and Vampires do not mix ever," Alcide says emphatically.

I shrug, "Well this one does, I seem to be immune to the effects of fire, which is a good thing as I can also fireball" the three men openly gape at me, "it's a Mori thing" I add with a shrug.

"Good evening," Jeremiah says as he reaches us, the two Weres mutter good evening in an almost deferential tone and then bow deeply and Jason after just standing and gaping, quickly follows their lead. It appears from their behaviour that Jeremiah has a somewhat revered mythical status within the Were community.

Sam, however, just grins widely before flinging his arms around Jeremiah and pulling him into a manly hug.

"Sam, how are you, my boy?" Jeremiah says fondly, focusing his attention on Sam.

"I'm really good, and I am so happy to hear that it's been you who has trained Sookie," he says.

Jeremiah smiles, "With her mixed ancestry I was the obvious choice, and it has been more than a pleasure she is a wonderful student" he turns to face the two Weres and Jason and I quickly jump in and introduce them.

"Jeremiah, this is my brother Jason, he is a bitten Were-Panther, this is Calvin his pack master and this is Alcide the pack master of the Long Tooth Were Wolves Pack of Shreveport, I was...am...was?... a friend of the pack before I became a Vampire," I say.

Alcide turns to face me, "You are still a friend of the pack Sookie, and your life choices have no bearing on your status with us".

"So, what are you guys all doing here?" I ask.

"Alcide and the pack have been keeping eyes on Max and he is starting to move his band of Zombies closer to Shreveport, there have been numerous meetings this past week with the increased activity, and they wanted to come and see for themselves if you were ready to implement a plan to stop him," Eric says.

This suddenly makes clear the disappearance of Eric each evening, whilst I have been training.

I nod, "I can give y'all a demonstration of my abilities if you like?" I say nonchalantly.

The men nod and murmur their agreement to that. First of all, I call Karin and I give a short demonstration of my fighting skills, which leaves them open mouthed as I manage to disarm her every time. Karin glared at each and every one of them.

"You breathe a word of how good she is against me and I will end every one of you, painfully."

I know this was a big thing for her to do, as with her line of work, she needs to maintain her fearless unbeatable reputation and I am grateful for her to essentially prove I am stronger and a more skilled fighter than she is. I touch her arm as she walks away.

"Thank you" I whisper she nods at me, the same emotionless impassive expression on her face, but I feel her affection towards me through the bond.

Then I do a demonstration of telekinesis and fireballing, I deliberately make a larger than average fireball which scares the hell out of Jason.

"Jeez Sookie what the hell was that?!" he exclaims as he stares at the now smoking and blackened shrubbery of our somewhat abused garden.

Then I do a brief summary of my Fae skills, I demonstrate snow, rain and hail and I summon the wind and have it swirl around before tightening into a small tornado before I make it vanish, then for the big finish I send a bolt of lightning into the ground a few feet away from us, Alcide, Sam, Calvin and Jason all jump violently and Lucien roars with laughter and gives me a round of applause.

"That never gets old Sookie," he says warmly.

Then I pop, teleporting myself around the yard until I am standing behind the men.

"I'm here" I whisper making them all jump again.

"What about mimicry?" Alcide asks, "That is the one you will need if you are going to spy on Max's group?"

I take an unnecessary breath and sigh, and I concentrate, slowly I feel my features altering, and the men gasp. I had picked Karin as I have developed a real bond with her and changing into her was now quicker and easier than anyone else I could do.

"Who else can you do?" Calvin asks as I return to normal.

"I can be passable as anyone, as long as I spend enough time with them so I can impersonate them correctly, it's all very well looking like someone but I have to sound and behave like them too," I say.

"Well, what do you think?" Alcide asks the others.

Sam looks at me and smiles, "She can do it, I know she can" he says immediately.

Calvin sighs and smiles, "She is definitely a lot better than I anticipated, I thought Northman was exaggerating her skills due to his weakness for her but she appears to be every bit as good as he said she is...if not better".

Before I can respond with an angry retort that Eric is not weak, and I am not his weakness Calvin has turned towards Jeremiah and is speaking to him directly.

"I also have another reason to be here tonight, Jason wants to help, when the time comes to fight but he is weak, he is a bitten Were, so can only shift at the full moon and he doesn't become a full panther but a human/panther hybrid, I was thinking he obviously shares Sookie's bloodline as her brother, so I was wondering if you could find his Shifter blood and I don't know, increase his abilities...somehow...please...if you don't mind?" he waits and everyone looks at Jeremiah, who frowns as he thinks about that.

"I could try, I won't lie to you, it may not work, as I believe the only reason Sookie was able to access her latent abilities was due to the fact she had been turned, but as Jason is a bitten Were we may be able to use that instead and do something for him, even if it only gets him able to shift on demand rather than at the set times," he pauses and looks at Jason.

"Come over here son, let me look at you so I can see what you've got".

Jason takes a shot look at me and slowly walks over to Jeremiah who grips his chin and stares into his eyes, much like he did to me.

"My god, you look like Dermot, I didn't realise until now, but you two could pass as twins", he pauses and shakes his head then stares once more at Jason, a small satisfied smile fills his face.

"Being bitten awakened his dormant Shifter blood and that, in theory, should have been enough to bypass the hybrid and turn him into a full panther as if he had been born to it, but the panther that bit him wasn't that powerful, but what he gave him I can work with," Jeremiah says.

Calvin nods, "We had issues with numbers within the pack at that point, and we were getting rather inbred," he says, Jeremiah nods, and I can see him thinking about this.

"The only way I can think of which could possibly work, is to give him a cocktail of your blood, my blood and also possibly Sookie's, and that could have the effect of pushing those abilities over the edge so to speak," Jeremiah says to Calvin.

"And I'd have to drink it?" Jason asks looking appalled at the thought.

"No, you'd bathe in it!" Jeremiah says sarcastically, "of course you'd drink it" he spits.

I touch Jason's arm, "It's ok Jason if you don't want to do that, but it would mean you would have to sit out in any battles if they weren't at the full moon," I say.

I see the resolve in his eyes, "No, I want to, I want to help, I don't want to be the weakest link, I want to help my pack and my sister" he says.

Jeremiah turns to Eric who has stepped forward, "I can extract their blood painlessly" he says smoothly.

I realise he must know how to this, to get the flask of blood he produced those nights immediately after I was turned when he needed me fed well before Niall and then Ocella visited.

Calvin nods "Where do you want me?" he asks.

"If you would wait here," Eric says. With that, he is gone and moments later he returns with a small bottle and couple of pieces of tubing.

"When doing this to humans I would glamour them first so that they are unaware of what is about to happen to them, but I am assuming you will not agree with me doing that," he says looking carefully at each of the men in turn and then at me.

I step forward, "Do me first so that way they can see what they are getting themselves into" I say.

Eric shakes his head, "It has to be done differently with you my love, you have no heartbeat and so it is pointless for me to extract the blood from the artery in your neck as there is no pulse."

"Oh," I say and I wait.

Jeremiah steps forward, "I think I have some idea what is going to happen, so I'll go first, do it and do it quickly, I put my life in your hands Northman, this is a great deal of trust I place in you and I only do it because I have known you as long as I have, and know you are honourable" he says.

I smile at Jeremiahs words, as that was not only a really nice thing to say but it was smart as well, as Jeremiah was in his own way assuring Calvin that Eric can be trusted and if Calvin then refused to participate, it looks not only like an insult towards Eric but also Jeremiah as Calvin would be doubting his integrity.

Eric nods and acknowledges the trust with a word of thanks then he sinks his fangs into Jeremiahs neck, he pierces the artery and he quickly and skilfully presses the tubing to the hole to catch the blood as it gushes out, Eric watches Jeremiah closely, and then as quick as lightning he removes the tube and heals the wound, grimacing at the taste of the blood.

Calvin goes white, but after a shot look at me, he nods, and steps towards Eric.

"Do it" he says sharply, and Eric repeats the procedure with a fresh piece of tubing.

Once Calvin's blood has been added to the bottle Eric turns towards me and smiles at me, "We have to gather your blood differently Sookie, bite your wrist my love and let the blood drip into the bottle," he says and he hands me a bottle of Trueblood to drink while he completes the procedure.

I do as I am told and watch as the blood slowly drips in, I have to open the wound several times before there is enough collected, and as the blood is dripping from me I drink down the bottle of Trueblood then when Eric is satisfied that he has enough blood he nods at me to pull away. I do so and lick my wrist. Eric shakes the bottle gently mixing the blood before handing it to Jason.

"Thanks," Jason says nervously to Eric as he accepts the bottle, as he goes to lift it to his lips he pauses, "Erm...I won't become a vamp will I, I mean because I'm drinking Sookie's blood?"

Eric rolls his eyes and the Weres laugh, but I look sympathetically at Jason, it is a valid concern for someone who doesn't know or understand, and I remember a time when I had similar worries.

"You would need to drink much more than that to be turned, there is a point where if you drank too much you could be turned but we are talking pints of blood, you are in no danger from the tiny drop I have donated, the only possible difference you will feel is being a bit stronger and fitter for a while" I say reassuringly to him.

He nods then takes a deep breath and chugs it down, I see him grimace and his nose crinkles up in disgust, but to his credit, he finishes all of it. "Now what?" he asks.

Jeremiah looks into his eyes again and gives a satisfied smile, "My theory appears to have been correct, with your pack masters blood, which is much stronger than that of the Were who bit you, and your sisters which is also your bloodline but enhanced with her now stronger active Shifter blood and mine as well, which has the added bonus of being nicely aged, it has enhanced your Shifter ability significantly, you already had the all the ingredients, we have just increased their potency so now I would like you to change into a panther" he says.

Jason looks at him blankly, "How? I don't know how to do it, it just sort of happens at the full moon" he says.

I take his hand and lead him into the centre of the garden, "Ok, this is different, you are choosing to shift and if you manage it, it means that you should be able to shift at other times at will and not be tied to the full moon when your body automatically responds, if you crouch down close your eyes and look inside yourself to locate your inner panther, it might take a moment but you will find it and then you need to focus on it and will yourself to become it" I say, Jason looks at me and nods.

"Ok," he says.

A moment later I see the air around him shimmering, "It's working, he's changing" I say, I watch and see the change altering Jason's body, I hear his clothes tearing as his body alters and he lets out a loud groan as his bones and muscles move position, I expect to see the human/panther hybrid which Jason had described to me, but instead I watch as Jason turns into a beautiful sleek black panther.

Calvin gasps and curses loudly, Alcide gapes his jaw dropping, Sam smiles but doesn't say anything.

"Well, that turned out better than I anticipated," Jeremiah says with a satisfied nod.

_What's happened I can't speak? _I hear Jason's panicked thoughts.

I walk over to him and crouch down beside him, "Jason it's ok, you just need to think what you want to say and I will hear it in my head, so will Jeremiah, Sam, Alcide and Calvin, you can't speak because you are an animal now."

_WHAT?! _I run my hand over Jason's feline head, "it's ok, don't freak out."

I turn to Eric, "Can you fetch the mirror so Jason can see himself please?" I ask, and with a nod Eric vanishes, a moment later he returns and hands me the mirror, "Jason look, you can shift into a beautiful panther now" I hold up the mirror and the panther looks into it.

_Holy shit that is really me? Hell, I'm a real Panther now and I can do this whenever I want to?_

"Yes Jason, but shifting takes a lot out of you so go steady and only shift when necessary," Jeremiah warns.

_Calvin, what do you think?_ The panther looks towards his pack master.

"I think you look magnificent Jason," Calvin says kindly, he turns to Jeremiah, "What does this make him now?" he asks, and I see the thoughts in his head about him allowing Jason to become a breeding male Panther.

Jeremiah shrugs, "To be honest with you I'm not sure, he wasn't a born Were Panther but he _was_ born with Shifter blood, albeit faint and diluted, so my best guess is, what we did awakened the Shifter genes and magic within him fully and because the Panther ability was there from the bite they combined, strengthened and produced a full-blooded panther so he is pretty unique in that he is Bitten Were whose Shifter genes have filled in the missing parts".

_Erm, how do I get back?_ We all turn our attention back to Jason who is pacing around the yard.

"Do the same thing as you did before, but this time you need to find your human self instead," I say.

I watch and slowly the shimmering begins again and Jason returns to normal, but his clothes are in a shredded heap on the ground from the change and he looks down at himself, realising suddenly that he is totally naked.

"Damn," he says as he takes in the ruined clothes and then tries to cover himself.

"Don't worry Jason, I have a change of clothes in the car which you can borrow" Calvin says kindly.

The Weres, Jason and Sam take their leave and after they have gone and I have completed another round of not so vigorous training, Jeremiah calls a halt to proceedings.

"We are just treading water now, I can teach her no more, and she is in danger of stagnating, I really think she needs to be stretched, hang on one moment," he says and he steps away from me and pulls out a phone.

I watch him he doesn't say anything but he must have done something as moments later he smiles and returns to us, "Ok now we will see if she really is as good as we think she is" he says.

I open my mouth to question him on what he means by that when it becomes very clear what he means when I see Ezekiel appearing. As he approaches us Eric immediately steps away from me and bows deeply.

"Welcome to my home it is an honour to have you here Ezekiel," he says politely.

Ezekiel returns the bow and turns to face me, I quickly bow to show my respect and he smiles at me. Before I can say anything though I hear movement and I spin on the spot looking towards it, I am shocked to see Thalia step out of the shadows to approach us, I wonder how long she has been there. She too bows deeply to Ezekiel and then nods to Eric and Jeremiah.

"Well this is a surprise, it has been many years since we last met," Ezekiel says to Thalia, "Tell me how Ambrogio is fairing?"

Thalia looks at him carefully, "My Sire is well, he is not in the best mood at present with all the unrest, and he is concerned about the developments which are happening here as he has been involved in them unknowingly."

Ezekiel looks at her questioningly, and Thalia nods, "The Fairy that deceived Ocella used my Sires form as his deception."

"Custis" I whisper and Thalia nods.

"My Sire has demanded that the creature is found and disposed of for his actions."

Ezekiel nods, "Why would a Fairy impersonate Ambrogio?"

I hold up my hand, "I kind of figured that out, it's all down to Maximillian, everything comes back to him, from what we know and what we have found out, it's kind of obvious, you see, with my bloodline being as it is, I mean not everyone has Shifter, Mori Demon and Fairy in their ancestry, well that made me unique, so when Eric turned me it kind of made me real special, like Lucien.

Maximillian got word of this and we think he wanted to stop Eric from turning me, and because he isn't playing with a full deck he kind of took the sledgehammer to crack a peanut approach" I pause and I see Ezekiel's mouth twitch with amusement.

"I believe Max lost it and went stupid, he totally overreacted when Lucien was born because we think he was afraid of what Lucien was and he wanted to destroy him, but because Max is also completely insane – or so I've been told, he has also got these delusions of grandeur in his head that he can take over the world or something which isn't a good combination with his magical ability and so in his warped wisdom he decided that in the process of destroying Lucien he would also take over the world, he failed and vanished, then little old me came along and it's got him all riled up again and so he has decided to have another go...at least that's what we think Max is doing" I stop and shrug before I carry on with my explanation.

"We believe he got his initial information about me from Darren the Empath Demon which got his knickers in a twist but it wasn't until Ocella approached him to help him heal from Alexei's attack that he started seriously planning and manipulating, he commandeered his half-brother the full Water Fairy Custis to approach Ambrogio in disguise so he could meet him and successfully impersonate him to Ocella to get more information out of him about me and Eric.

The Water Fae have long since wanted me dead because of my link to Niall and the fact I wasn't full Fae, so Max used that prejudice for his own ends. Max then duped Ocella into thinking he had healed him when he hadn't really, he had made his arms and legs re-grow but his internal body, well it was a mess, but he managed to bewitch Ocella to believe he was totally healed.

Max used his interaction with Ocella to impersonate him to try and get to us so he could kill me but that plan failed when we were tipped off by the elemental that it wasn't really Ocella, so Max went back and bewitched Ocella into coming and attacking us, hopefully believing he would manage to kill me before we ended him, Max didn't care about Ocella dying as he had fulfilled his usefulness, which was why he wasn't bothered that we got the message from Gran but what he failed to realise is that because we got that warning, when Ocella arrived, he was faced with four well fed and rested Vampires and we decimated him.

There was also Darren the Empath Demon who was involved, he worked for Mr Cataliades and he was basically a spy who had been dealing with Max for years, and as I have already said we believe Max got his initial information about me from Darren as he dealt with anyone who he felt would benefit him.

He spoke to Bill about me and also to Ocella. But all this boils down to the fact Maximillian is an insane zombie with delusions of grandeur who fears anything which is different and because he is so batshit crazy, he does stupid things which cause untold consequences, and he draws in others who should never be involved, and I think the imbalance is down to him I haven't yet worked out why he did that, whether it is to create more food for him and his kind, but if that is the case why deplete the humans?"

I stop and Jeremiah looks at me, "There is a balance there has always been a balance, Zombies eat any human flesh, but Were flesh is considered a delicacy as the magic and the Were genes gives the zombies certain healing properties."

My eyes widen, everything making complete sense "So because he is messing with Were birth rates and manipulating their numbers – it has skewed the balance and messed things up to the point where it has put the human birth rate in decline and also affected other supernatural species" I say. Jeremiah nods in agreement.

"But he will have to wait until his food source is born, grown and matured Weres don't do their first change until they are around 12/13 years old, are you saying that this posturing and gathering of zombies is going to go on for another 12 or so years?" I ask incredulously.

Ezekiel nods his head, "It is quite possible, Max is immortal so what is 12 years in an endless existence?"

Eric steps forward, "Do we know how long he prepared the last time?"

Realisation dawns on Ezekiel's face and he slaps his hand on his forehead, "Of course how could I be so stupid, he is following exactly the same pattern as to when he wanted to end Lucien, but he had far more warning, as he had a constant stream of information from the Faery from the moment Malachy mated with Aine and Niall's reaction to it.

We know he used his magic which foretold of Lucien and he spent over twenty years preparing for the rampage in 1903".

I can't help but wonder if he has had a similar amount of time to prepare for me as he probably has had a stream of information over the years via the fairies, and Darren the Empath Demon.

"So, if that is the case and he is following the same pattern whereabouts are we and how far away are we from this rampage?" I ask.

Ezekiel looks at Thalia and Eric, "I would say he is in the final stages now of implementing his plan, now that he is preparing the Were population to become a ready supply of food after an attack for healing, so I would say about 10 to 12 years, give or take, wouldn't you agree?" I see Thalia nod her head.

"I would say that," Eric says in agreement.

"You have to remember that he clearly has had less time to prepare on this occasion," Jeremiah says as if he had read my previous thoughts.

"How so?" I ask.

Jeremiah shrugs, "You have only been on this earth for what...20 odd years?"

"31" I whisper, feeling complimented that I don't look my 31 years.

"There you go, for a significant part of that time, Niall was unaware of you, and we tried to protect you as best we could to prevent his knowledge of you."

"Yes, but we also know Darren the Empath Demon was feeding information to Max about me, we don't know how long that has been going on or when it started" I get a sudden flash of realisation and spin around to face Eric, "How long ago was it Niall approached you, because he had found out about me and wanted to meet me?" I ask.

Eric frowns as he remembers, "You were in your 22nd human year" he says.

"So eight years ago, so if Niall found out around the same time as Max which is what I am assuming, as my guess is Max got the info about me from Darren and that got passed on the Water Fae which is then how Niall found out, and so it's taken him eight years until now to get this far" I say looking around.

"He had over fifty years before to prepare, with Lucien," Eric says.

Thalia snorts, "It is all so clear now, and yet seems unbelievable that one being could cause so much chaos."

I snort, "He's not the only one, and look at the human world, throughout history there have been single individuals who weren't totally the full ticket but managed to do some horrific things which have left lasting scars on mankind, the one who immediately jumps to my mind is Adolf Hitler, look at what his crazy ideas and delusions caused," I say as I recall my history lessons from school.

"She is right and Max has to be stopped, if not events could spiral out of control and it could result in the End of Days," Thalia says coldly.

I look at her in surprise remembering that was Niall's original theory and I realise that if Maximillian is left to mess with things much more, it could become a self-fulfilling prophecy and all beings whether they are human or Supes will find themselves wiped out one way or another.

Ezekiel steps closer to me, "and you my dear along with Lucien, your Vampire kin, Shifters, Weres, Demons and anyone else who wants to put a stop to this madness, are going to confront that maniac and put an end to him once and for all, we should have ended him the last time but we showed him mercy, there will be no mercy this time" he says gravely.

Thalia looks at me, "Which is why I am here, I have been persuaded by your Sire to spar with you and see if I can teach you more than you already know, to prepare for the coming fight."

I bow slightly to her, "I am honoured Thalia" I say politely.

She nods and pulls a dagger from her pocket and hands it to me, I notice she is offering it blade first so I carefully grasp it so not to cut myself and she stares at me in shock.

"What?" I ask wondering at her surprised reaction.

"This cannot be" she mutters and gingerly she reaches towards me and touches the blade, I hear the sizzle of burning flesh and realise she was testing me and this dagger is silver, but I am not burning, I look down and examine my hand, Eric grabs it and checks it.

"Silver immunity," he says incredulously.

I shrug, "Well I can shift into a Phoenix they are linked with fire and I can fireball so I guess if I am immune to fire there could be other things which don't affect me" I say, but silver is a biggy and I can tell that by the reactions of everyone around me.

Thalia grins and it is a scary sight, "My first underestimation," she mutters and then with a speed I've never seen before she flies at me.

I open my mind up to access hers and quickly manage to slide in and anticipate her moves, I don't go for full control as I don't need to, if I can anticipate her moves I can block them and I also want to learn from her at the same time, I want to see if she can give me anything new, I perceive everyone step back to give us room, and I sense more Vampires joining us and realise my sisters have arrived and are watching us.

I learnt quickly that Thalia is strong, fast and cunning, she really is powerful and it shows with the effortlessness of her movements which look deceptive but are lethal.

I thought Eric and Karin were powerful but Thalia is on another level, she is unreal. It takes me time to manage to find a way around her moves even though I can anticipate them coming as she is so powerful, but when I do I plan carefully, this is good though, I am learning so much from this, I soak in everything I am learning from her and I realise I am enjoying this, it isn't boring me as the sessions with Karin and Eric had started to do.

I understand what Karin meant now when she said she liked it when her opponents put up a fight, as there is nothing satisfying about decimating someone without even trying. Eventually, after studying her for a while I see my chance and I make my move, and in a movement so swift I don't quite believe I did it, I disarm Thalia and have her on her back pinned to the ground with my knee and with her own sword at her throat. She stares at me in disbelief shaking her head.

"I don't believe this" she mutters, I move and offer her my hand to help her up.

She hesitates a moment and then accepts it when she stands she bows to me. "Never in all my existence have I witnessed anything quite like that," she says. She then turns to Jeremiah, "I can teach her nothing".

I step in at this point, "That was brilliant, and you taught me so much in that fight and I learnt so much, because it took me a while to figure out how to better you".

Thalia nods again, "you are exceptional; I have never seen skills like it."

I swell with pride at her words, Jeremiah looks at a loss, "Well I suppose bringing you here to fight with her was a waste of time then" he says turning to Ezekiel.

Ezekiel laughs, "Not at all, on the contrary, I am glad I was present to witness the moment that the great Thalia was beaten, I have waited for this day since I was a small child and she handed me my ass on a plate when she taught me to fight."

I gape at him and turn to face Thalia who quickly schools her amused look into something fiercer. She gestures between me and herself.

"This moment stays in this yard and anyone breathes a word of it I will end them" she hisses.

I smile I find it amusing how Vampires like to keep their fearsome reputations intact. "We need to keep her ability a secret until the confrontation, they will underestimate her and it will be their doom," Thalia adds coldly.

When she says that I realise it's not her reputation she is considering at all, it's mine.


	21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

After Thalia leaves Ezekiel looks at me carefully. "Sookie? Are you alright child?" he asks kindly.

I nod, I have spent most of my time recently, wrapping my mind around different theories and getting all the pieces of the puzzle in order and finding the truth out of the dead ends and false leads.

Now that we know what is causing the imbalance, and more importantly who is responsible and now that we think that we know, more or less the reason why it is happening, I suddenly feel a huge sense of responsibility settle on my shoulders and Ezekiel must sense it.

"I...I..." I stammer and then stop, in an instant Eric is beside me and his strong arms are enclosing me protectively in that familiar way he always does which immediately settles me and he sends me love, positivity and pride through the bond as he looks at me anxiously, of course, he knows at this moment I am struggling, he too can feel it through the bond. All the emotions inside me along with Eric's unconditional support and love is my undoing and I can't help myself and I feel the tears building in my eyes and then slowly ooze out.

"Sookie, my love what's wrong, talk to me," Eric asks anxiously and as he grips me tighter a big red tear trickles down my cheek.

"I believe that the reality of all this has finally hit her," Ezekiel says kindly, as he also steps closer to me "Come, let us go inside," he says.

We head inside in silence, I am still encased in Eric's arms unable to stem the flow of tears now steadily falling down my cheeks, but as we enter the kitchen I look up and see Pam and Karin just staring at me nervously, neither of them knowing how to handle this situation, eventually Karin goes to the fridge and opens a bottle of Trueblood, she warms it and then simply and wordlessly thrusts the bottle at me.

"Thank you," I say with a small smile as I accept it. This small gesture is touching and the fact it was Karin who did it made it even more so. Eric is sitting beside me pouring his love into the bond, he has his large hand on top of my free one and he is gripping it tightly. I can tell he too is at a loss, he desperately wants to help me but has no idea how to do so, it is the simple fact that my husband and sisters have been Vampires for so long they have no idea what to say or do to help me and my outpouring of emotion is alien to them. Lucien appears and sits on my other side, he wraps his arm around my shoulder and squeezes.

"Reality finally hit you eh kiddo?" he says.

I give him a weak smile and nod. Sitting opposite us are Ezekiel and Jeremiah they are both looking at me kindly, waiting for me to say something.

I look around feeling suddenly embarrassed by my outburst and anxious to avoid any further attention I try to pull myself together and take an unnecessary deep breath, and I wipe my eyes. "Sorry about that, I shouldn't have reacted like that," I say eventually, my voice now stronger and thankfully no longer wobbling.

I feel Eric almost immediately sag with relief. Lucien squeezes me again. "Hey come on don't be so hard on yourself, this is massive, anyone facing what you have found out recently is going to have a wobble, I'm just surprised it hasn't happened sooner, I mean just look at what your life has been like to this point, you grew up believing you were a human, a slightly different human but you always viewed your gift as a negative thing, you were conditioned to believe you were subnormal and some kind of freak, bullied and treated very poorly by thoughtless and clueless humans when in reality you were someone incredibly special.

The fact you survived all those years without any guidance, and you taught yourself to shield the thoughts which bombarded you and you didn't go insane says just how strong and incredible you are. I grew up knowing that I was different, I knew all about my heritage and that the mixture of bloodlines had created something unique about me, but you were ignorant of it all as far as you knew you were just a little girl who could do some weird things that other people couldn't do". Lucien pauses and smiles at me.

"Then this whole new world opened up for you, Vampires and Weres became real and not just figments of imagination in literature and films, and the Supernatural world slowly swallowed you up.

You became involved with vampires, you discover your best friend and boss is a Shifter, your long lost fairy great-grandfather turns up and tells you that you are not human at all but are part fairy, and not only that you also find out the disability that you have had all your life which you had thought made you a freak was actually a well-meant gift of protection from a Mori Demon.

That would be enough to blow anyone's mind right there, but no that's not all by a long way because fate had an even bigger mind-blowing revelation stored up for you. You fall in love with a Vampire, and marry him – I still can't see why you did that, I mean..." he pauses and gestures at Eric, "damn! I thought you'd have better taste."

I giggle at that and I glance at my husband who thankfully is also seeing the funny side as his mouth is twitching at the corner as he tries but fails to suppress a smile.

Lucien continues, "So you marry ...him" he theatrically shakes his head again, "then you persuade your vampire husband to marry you again in a human ceremony culminating with the decision to actually go the whole hog and become a Vampire, and that decision really makes the shit hit the fan, you become a vampire, which seems to piss off a lot of beings, some who are sadly a sandwich short of a picnic prompting them to completely lose their minds and plot the end of the world as we know it, at least, that's what we believe they are doing, again something we wouldn't know if you hadn't worked most of it out, with that incredible mind of yours".

Do you run away and hide? No, do you turn into a gibbering wreck? No, you stand tall you figure out what the hell is going on and you prepare to take on and fight the crazies head on and restore peace and harmony to the human and Supernatural world" he pauses dramatically again then he raises his finger.

"BUT there's more!" he says loudly I giggle again and I can tell Lucien is really enjoying himself now. I glance at Pam and Karin who are both smiling at him and I catch Karin roll her eyes.

"While you are doing that you also find out that not only are you Vampire, kind of obvious as you let him turn you and a bit of fairy but you also have Shifter and Mori Demon blood in your ancestry, you meet all kinds of people coming out of the woodwork claiming to be your kin and even get persuaded to Shift, something which had never even come on your radar before and after a load of training you have turned into one Vampire Fairy Shifter Mori Demon bad ass who can take down a Vampire no-one else in their right mind would ever mess with, that was Thalia in case you were wondering.

So knowing all that and realising exactly what has happened and what you are now facing, I think you are entitled to have a moment where you just sit and blub, hell if it were me I'd have had a complete meltdown by now!" Lucien stops and leans down and presses a kiss to my head, which provokes a small growl from Eric, which he totally ignores.

"But after you have had your moment and you are ready to get up and fight, just remember that you have two packs of Weres, all the Vampires of this area, and a large...very large army of Mori Demons at your side to help you take down that crazy mother fucker! " Lucien stops as I laugh at that.

"Oh and me of course, no fight would be complete without a dragon," he says with a wink. I giggle again.

"Thank you," I say sincerely, I look around the table, "Sorry about that, I'm done with my pity party now."

Eric shakes his head, "You forgot one important yet significant thing, Sookie is also a very new vampire, so along with the embarrassment of talents her unique and varied bloodline has gifted her with she still has traces of humanity within her which I believe explains much and should not be disregarded."

Everyone smiles at me but before I can say anything else my attention is drawn to the window, the wind has got up and the window is clattering, I walk over to it to secure it and as I do so I hear my name, I pause and listen, and I hear it again, I turn to face the others.

"Someone is out there and they are calling me," I say.

Immediately everyone rallies to my side in unspoken support and as I step outside, my jaw drops as the reality of what is out there hits me.

"What the actual fuck?" Lucien gasps as he takes in the scene in front of us. I too am more than a little taken aback by what I am seeing, and my thoughts are similar to the words which have just come tumbling out of Lucien's mouth.

I take a step forward, "She will be safe, but we need to keep back," Eric says to everyone authoritatively, as he holds out a hand to prevent anyone stepping closer to me.

I take in the awe-inspiring sight in front of me, as far as the eye can see thousands upon thousands of small shadowy circles of wind are dancing around in front of me lead by the elemental who I spoke to back at Bon Temps. I stare at it and it begins to speak to me.

"Sookie, we know what you are facing, we know you will fight, we are a peace-loving species but when the need arises we stand for what is right, we have seen you gather your allies and we wish to stand with you to defeat the Zombie, we are not the only ones, our fire brethren also pledge their allegiance" it says.

It is then I see more elementals appearing, but instead of wind and shadows these are solid columns of flames, standing about four foot tall, I gape in shock as one of these columns moves forward and stands beside the wind elemental. I can make out features of a face amongst the flames as I stare almost entranced at it.

"Sookie, we will join you, we stand beside you to defeat the forces of evil which surround and strengthen Maximillian" the fire elemental pauses and glances at the gathered vampires and demons behind me.

"They stand with you, tell them we stand with you all," it says.

I turn around, "Erm... this here is a ...erm...they are all pledging to stand beside us with the fight against Max, they want to help us," I say.

Eric and Ezekiel step forward warily and join me. They don't say a word, but both bow reverently to the elementals.

"We are all honoured that you have taken this decision," Eric says politely.

"On behalf of all the Mori Demon Warriors who will also be fighting, we sincerely thank you for this monumental decision" Ezekiel adds.

I turn and look at the elementals, and I nod, "I would like to say thank you as well, we are putting together a plan right now, how do I... how will I be able to tell you about it and discuss with y'all what we are going to do?" I ask.

"If you hold the meeting at your ancestral home, we will be present, we will all observe and we will know what to do," the Shreef says to me.

"Ok, we can do that," I say, I turn to Eric, "He...she...it said can we hold the meeting to arrange what is going to happen at my old home in Bon Temps and that way they can be there and know about it and...Everything" I say lamely.

Eric nods, "consider it done," he says.

With that, the masses of elementals just vanish and I am left gaping totally speechless at what just happened.

"What just happened?" I ask eventually.

Eric pulls me close, "Remember I told you that you had bonded with that Shreef, well now that you face danger the air elementals are duty bound to assist you, because of that bond which was forged, but it doesn't surprise me that they managed to persuade the fire elementals to join them."

A snippet of conversation I had with Eric pops into my head, right back after I had seen the Shreef for the first time and had I wondered what it was and he explained to me what elementals were, I remember Eric telling me that those governed by earth, water and air elements tend to be generally peace-loving and harmless, only resorting to attacking if provoked however those governed by fire can be vicious and they have been known to cause trouble from time to time. Well, I'm glad that they are on my side.

Another memory of something Eric had told me pops into my head, "I thought you said they were very rare there looked to be thousands of them out there tonight?" I say to Eric.

He laughs, "That is because that was the entire race, when they do decide to fight, and pledge their support they all come on mass to do so" this makes my mouth drop open in shock realising that although there seemed to be so many of them, in that context there were actually very few.

"So you think it's a good idea that they want to fight with me?" I ask.

Ezekiel nods enthusiastically, "it is very rare, but it is a great honour when elementals turn out in force to fight with you, they have only ever been known to help full Fae before and again very rarely, so this is unprecedented but I assure you they will be a great asset".

I nod mutely, "I don't want them to feel obligated to fight though," I say as I remember Eric's words that they were duty bound to join me.

Eric laughs, "It is no obligation it is a question of honour for them."

"Oh ok," I say, I'm still slightly stunned by what has just happened and it has left me speechless.

"Shall we all go inside then, we need to hash out the plan so we know what we are talking about when we call this meeting?" Lucien says.

We all go back inside and sit down, "I think my original idea of impersonating someone to get a foot in the door is still valid and better than staying at a distance to gather information" I say as a starting point, expecting Eric to shoot me down immediately.

But I am surprised when he doesn't, "Alright, so what do you have in mind?" he says looking at me carefully.

**oooOOOooo**

_The next evening..._

We have all gathered at Bill Compton's house, it is much bigger than my own little house across the cemetery so that the elementals can be present and observe. After a lot of discussions last night not to mention arguments we have come up with what we all believe is a workable plan and also a plan B if plan A fails.

Eric had stubbornly tried to veto various points considering them too dangerous, but eventually, we had come to a compromise we were all happy with. The elementals had even come back at one point so I guessed they were in the vicinity watching and listening, but I was glad they were there so they could be part of the discussion, and eventually the reason Eric had finally capitulated was because it was agreed that the elementals would be the first wave of attack into the camp as soon as I got in there so, in essence, they would be coming in with me.

It had taken us right up to the hour before dawn to get everything settled and Jeremiah had promised to inform Alcide, Sam and Calvin about the meeting to bring everyone on board with what was going to happen.

I look around the room, Jeremiah had been as good as his word as the room is packed. Everyone is wondering why we chose this place to hold the meeting when last time we were all gathered at Merlotte's.

I smile around at everyone, "Thanks, y'all for coming, I know this isn't the best place to hold the meeting and you are all a little bit uncomfortable, but it was essential so that some of our more private allies could also attend," there is immediately murmuring and glancing around, wondering who else is going to turn up.

I point to the open windows, "As you can see the windows are open, and that is because these creatures won't come inside, but they have pledged to help us with our plan stop Maximillian.

"Who are these beings?" Calvin asks suspiciously.

I look straight at him, "Elementals" I say. "Wind and Fire Elementals to be precise" I add.

There is a collective gasp, "I was visited last night by the Shreef who I have seen numerous times and who warned me about the fake Ocella in my woods the night of my rising.

This Shreef came last night with thousands of her...his...its kin and pledged to help us, joining her were a number of Fire Elementals as well who have pledged their support. They are very private creatures and wanted to attend the meeting tonight but won't come inside, so this is why the meeting is being held here with the windows open".

This seems to satisfy everyone and we quickly get started. Soon everyone has been made aware of all the latest information and the latest theories as to why everything is happening and if the Weres were unsure about participating before they are chomping at the bit now, every bit as committed as we are to stop it and put an end to Maximillian once and for all.

"So is everyone clear why all this is happening and why we have to stop Maximillian?" I ask as I look around the room.

There is a general murmuring of an agreement, I nod and point to a board where I have detailed drawings of where Max is, and how many zombies he has around him and the general layout of the Zombie camp. These plans have been provided by Alcide, the plans show an old abandoned warehouse and the only reason the Weres discovered the zombies there was because it was a Warehouse they used as a base from time to time for Were business.

"These plans provide us with a huge advantage as the Shreveport Weres know every inch of that building, a knowledge that Alcide is about to share with us" I explain and look over to Alcide who stands and makes his way over.

I go and sit down as he starts to explain what his Weres have discovered and explains the layout of the camp, he tells us that Max is surrounded by a close circle of around 50 zombies and they are his protection and best fighters, then there are around another 150 assorted zombies who decided to follow Max and go along with his crazy plans, it is not known how proficient they are at fighting but as Alcide points out, where they are within the camp and its layout we can roughly work out who the fighters are and who are those just there to make up the numbers.

He explains that there is a room towards the back of the warehouse which appears to be closely and heavily guarded and Alcide believes that this could be Max's own quarters. I glance over at the window and catch sight of the Shreef and the Fire Elemental hovering around, observing the proceedings.

When he has finished talking and everyone is clear of the layout of the camp and what we will be facing when we get there, I take over to outline the plan of attack.

"So now we know where he is, how many he has supporting him and why he is doing it now I am going to tell you how we are going to stop him," I say.

Everyone in the room has their eyes on me and are hanging on my every word.

"Right, well first of all we have received information from the lookouts in the vicinity who tell us Max is getting antsy because he hasn't had word from Custis or Breandan for a while and hasn't seen them, now _we _know why that has happened, and that would be because Ezekiel and Silas sealed off the portals from the Faery to this realm, so they physically can't get to him or get word to him.

Any fairies this side of the Faery are able to return there but it is a one-way ticket, no fairy could get back here without a portal, and all those portals are now sealed, we did that not only to stop any homicidal fairies coming to get me after Niall's demise, but it also protects the Faery against Max, as we have it on good authority that it is his intention to take over the Faery as well as this realm in his crazy world domination plan, but he cannot access the Faery without a portal because he is a zombie."

"Why do you want to protect the Faery?" comes a defiant cry, immediately followed by murmurs of agreement.

"Because they don't deserve being taken over and massacred by crazy ass zombie any more than we do" I retort.

More murmurs of agreement come in response to that and I quickly continue, "but that gives us an advantage and forms the biggest part of the plan, because there are no portals and he hasn't had any word from the Faery my guess is Max will welcome any fairy who approaches him with open arms to find out what is going on, at least that is what I am banking on as that is the main part of my plan to infiltrate Max's little camp, I am going to impersonate a fairy and walk right in there".

There are gasps of shock as I say this, and then a general murmuring I wait until this has died down before I continue.

"Who are you going to impersonate?" One of Calvin's Panthers asks.

"Dermot," I say quietly, "Max knows Niall didn't get on with Dermot, and there have been numerous rumours in the past that Dermot was in alliance with Breandan and the Water Fae against his father, so I believe it wouldn't be too much of a stretch for Dermot to approach Max.

Also, we have the point to consider that Max wouldn't care that Dermot is a Halfling as he too is a Halfling, or was until he became a zombie.

Plus Dermot is going there with the purpose to give Max some juicy information he has gathered about his niece now that she is a vampire – which will, of course, be totally false but hopefully it will be enough to get me in there, when I am ready to move in I will send a signal – it will start to snow, as soon as you all see the snow you know I am making my move to the camp".

I am interrupted by one of Alcide's Weres calling out, "What if he doesn't buy it?"

I stare at the young male Were, "Then I resort to plan B which I will go over in a moment, but I am hoping that plan A will be successful".

The Were nods and waits for me to continue.

"Now, where was I? Oh yes, now originally the plan was for me to gather information and pass it back but as we now know the reasons behind everything Max is doing, this will just be the first wave of attack, once I am in, my role is to separate Max from his inner circle and end him.

This will clearly not go down well with Max or any of the other zombies especially those whose job it is to protect him and they will be doing their level best to stop me, to help me will be the elementals who will be the first wave, coming in with me, if needs be they will create a distraction and start the battle so that I can get into position to separate and corner Max.

As soon as I have done this and got him separated from all the other zombies I will send a signal in the form of a thunderbolt which will be the signal for the elementals to start killing the zombies, this will also be the signal for the Weres to enter, the Weres will be under the command of Calvin and Alcide and their job is to enter the warehouse and spread out rounding up any scattering zombies trying to escape and kill them.

They will be followed in by the groups of Mori warriors led by Ezekiel, Silas and Jeremiah, entering here, here and here and the area five Vampires who will be led by Thalia and my husband and they will enter the camp here and here and at this point, we believe the fighting will be at its greatest.

Hopefully, by this point in time, I will have ended Max and I will join the Vampires in with the main battle. With the numbers which Ezekiel has promised and with all you guys the numbers are fairly even, but zombies fight well, and there is always the concern that Max will try and use his magic, and we don't know if any other zombies are proficient in the dark magic Max practices.

I will try and prevent that from happening but everyone needs to be aware that this will not be a walkover, this will be a hard battle and everyone needs to be on their A game" I pause and look around "Is everyone clear so far?" I ask.

There is a chorus of yes and much nodding.

"OK, depending on how the battle is proceeding and how long it gets drawn out depends on when Lucien makes his appearance, his job is to team up with the elementals and finish it, and to end any hardcore who refuse to yield and surrender.

I will try my hardest not put any of you in danger for the sake of it and as soon as I believe that we are at an impasse and the battle is at a stalemate, I will be in direct contact with him and when I believe his presence is required will be when he makes his appearance to put an end to it.

The warning for all our people to clear the area will be a snow storm, this will cause enough confusion and give our people the opportunity to take cover, once the area is clear the fire elementals will give the signal for Lucien to come in and they will assist him to finish the battle because when Lucien comes flying in and breathes hellfire on the remaining zombies and the fire elementals on the ground give them nowhere to run there won't be a lot left afterwards".

I pause, "Plan B is risky and hopefully only if all else fails do I implement it" I glance at Eric, we had argued about this bitterly as he had said it was too risky and he didn't like it. I had put up a solid case why it could work and if it was our only chance then we had come so far we had to do it, and reluctantly he had agreed.

"So, plan B, if when I get there Max sees through my disguise or something goes wrong, then the elementals who are the first wave will provide a firestorm, they have informed me that this is possible and they have assured me I won't have any problem getting in after that, and it will be visible enough to inform everyone else that plan B is now in operation, then everyone else will enter as previously discussed in plan A, any questions?"

There is silence and everyone seems happy with everything. Then Sam speaks up.

"When will all this be happening?" he asks.

I look around, "Clearly we want it to happen as soon as possible but I appreciate that y'all have your own lives and things going on, but having said that if we don't stop Max those very lives will be at risk".

Alcide stands up, "If I might make a suggestion," he says.

I nod, "Go ahead."

"Well, in three nights time is the full moon, we will be at full strength and so will the Panthers, I believe that would be a good time to do it."

I hear the wind getting up outside and rattling against the window, "Excuse me a moment" I say and walk over to the open window.

Outside are the army of elementals once more, "Hello, did you hear all that?" I ask.

"Yes we did, and we agree that this plan is good. The timing is critical for its success and the Were speaks sense, the full moon is a sacred time but not only for the Weres and Shifters we also draw strength from the moon and we too will be at our most powerful and it is the night we will be able to combine fire with air to full effect should the need arise."

"Ok, what does that mean?" I ask.

The fire elemental moves forward, "if a firestorm is needed my air brethren will be able to combine their elements with ours to provide a much stronger and fiercer fire, this can only be done safely on a full moon."

I nod, "Ok thank you, and thank you so much for agreeing to do this," I say politely once more.

With that, I turn back towards everyone in the room, "Ok, I've just been informed that the full moon is a good time for the elementals they say the full moon makes them stronger as well, so if everyone is happy with that shall we say sunset after we rise in three nights time we do this thing?"

There is more murmuring and a chorus of yes's.

"Ok then I think we have a plan, I just want to say thank you all for agreeing to do this and for helping us put a stop to Maximillian and his bat shit crazy schemes."

I watch as all the Weres leave, Jason comes up to me and hugs me.

"If I don't get chance to speak to you again before Thursday, well good luck and be safe, I love you Sookie, I know I've not been the best brother in the world over the years, but you sure as hell have been the best sister, and whatever happens I am so damn proud of you" he hugs me again and then simply turns and leaves before I can form any sort of response.

I pull myself together and call out, "Jason" I call and he turns and looks at me.

"Thank you and I love you too," I say my voice hoarse with emotion.

He smiles and without another word leaves the room.


	22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

The next three days pass with astonishing eerie calm, everything is in place and we are just waiting for Thursday evening. The way literally nothing is happening is slightly unnerving almost as though the universe is trying to lull me into a false sense of security. I get odd texts from Alcide and Calvin just to confirm details but aside from that everything is so... normal. This time of nothing happening at all compared to the constant activity of the past few weeks is jarring.

I almost feel lost, we have spent the last few weeks since I was turned constantly strategizing and theorising about what was happening, and finding everything out literally consumed my every thought, and when we have not been strategizing I have been training and perfecting my myriad of special abilities. I realise now we know roughly all there is to know and that the conclusion to this is looming, but not actually here yet the situation I am in is almost like the eye of the storm.

I look out the window, the moon shines brightly in the sky and it is almost taunting me, not quite the full moon yet, nearly but not quite. It mirrors the situation we are in, almost time to confront and hopefully put an end to Maximillian and his batshit crazy plans, almost but not quite.

I just want to get it done, we have the plan, we have the allies in place to take him down, and I am confidently in my abilities to do my part well and get the job done, and that's just it, I want to get on with it now, and put an end to Max, and by extension the imbalance so that the future for everyone be it human or Supe is no longer in jeopardy. Once more the enormity of the task I am taking on overwhelms me for a moment, I close my eyes tightly to push away the rising panic.

"Sookie" I turn at the voice of my husband and see him standing silently watching me.

"Hi" I whisper and force a smile on my face, but both he and I know that it is completely fake, as he can feel my roiling emotions of the battle to come, and my anxiety surrounding it, just as I can feel his.

I move away from the window and walk towards him and silently wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head against his chest, his big powerful arms wrap around me, enclosing me with his body, pulling me close.

"This waiting is driving me nuts, I want it to be Thursday already, get it over with," I say quietly.

I feel him tense, "I share your sentiments, but I believe for different reasons," he says slowly.

I look up at him, "What do you mean?" I ask slightly concerned by his tone, and also by the fact he has now closed the bond between us. I know that could get what I want to know directly from his mind but I don't because I respect his privacy too much, so I wait and see if he will telling me what I want to know.

"You want this to be over because you are looking at the big picture, you want Max dead, which will break the link to his magic and the balance between the human and supernatural world will return, the supernatural world will be relieved to be free of Maximillian and your intervention will signify a new dawn of cooperation between species.

You believe that all supernatural beings will learn from this coming battle and be more tolerant of each other and learn to work together, at least that is what you are hoping, and you also want it to be over, as you feel the weight of responsibility and the enormity of the mission ahead of you is making you doubt yourself and your abilities of being able to complete it," he stops.

I stare at him, he has just put into words all the disjointed thoughts which have circulated around my mind since everything was put into place. I had no idea he had been so attuned me that he could not only pick up on what I hoped would happen afterwards but voice it so elegantly.

But that was Eric, he was always two steps ahead of everyone, which was one of the reasons he had survived for so long. That is why he noticed the imbalance whereas nobody else (apart from Niall) had. I go to speak but he continues.

"I, however, am selfish," he says his gorgeous blue eyes boring into me. "Whilst you are being noble and thinking of the future for everyone, all I can consider is my own future, I want this to be over so that I know for sure what my future will be" the tone of his voice sets me on edge what is he trying to tell me? I think once again about taking his thoughts from his mind but then once again I dismiss that option, I had made an oath to myself that I would stay out of his mind and that I wouldn't pilfer his thoughts, without his knowledge or permission when I first became aware that I could now hear vampires.

"Eric?" I ask nervously.

He presses a finger against my lips, "No, you will listen to me, do you remember years ago I said to you, I may not tell you everything but what I do tell you is the truth?" he pauses and I nod.

"I remember," I say with a small voice, wondering what is coming next and wondering what he is hiding.

I feel his arms tighten around me, "I told you that because even then I loved you and I believed that keeping you in ignorance at times was for your own protection, that it would not do you any service to know the things I knew, do you understand what I am saying?"

I nod at him indicating that I get what he is saying even though I disagree with it, as far as I am concerned I have always felt that knowledge is power and to try and protect me by keeping me in the dark is misguided and sometimes downright dangerous, as I have no idea what I am facing if I am ignorant of it. I stifle my rising concern and keep my mouth shut willing him to continue and hopefully explain what he is trying to say.

"I wasn't going to say anything this time for that very reason, I wished to protect you, believing it would harm you in some way to know what I was thinking, make you do something differently in the battle to come and I didn't want to burden you with my thoughts but then I reasoned that you are my wife and as you have pointed out to me many times that union between us means we are partners, equals, you place your trust in me and I place my trust in you and to do that we both wish to know everything so that we can make informed choices and so as such you have the right to know of my plans and I am hoping it will help you make the correct decisions during the forthcoming battle but not hinder you in any way" he pauses again, and a wry smile pulls at his lips.

"However, I also know it is not beyond your capability to take the thoughts I am having directly from my mind, and so although you have respected my privacy and not used your gifts on me, I also feel I should voice them for the very reason that you may hear them and not understand them in the context which you receive them".

I feel like shaking him and telling him to stop talking in riddles, he knows I won't listen to him and his thoughts, so I wonder what on earth he is thinking.

"Go on" I urge. He doesn't say anything for a good few moments, almost as if he is still warring with himself whether to say anything or not, eventually speaks again.

"I am afraid Sookie," he says quietly and lowering his head, as if admitting something like that is a great weakness and I realise that for a vampire of his standing it probably _is_ considered a weakness to admit being afraid, I even feel his shame at saying those words leaking through the bond even though he has closed it and I realise just how bad he is feeling about admitting this and although my heart is breaking for him at this moment I stay silent and wait for him to continue as I know instinctively he hasn't finished what he wants to say.

"This isn't an emotion I am accustomed to, I do not like it, but at this moment I feel it and since this mission has been planned and we wait for it to begin I feel it constantly... I have not felt afraid since I was human, the last time I felt fear was when I was ambushed by Ocella and that was a different kind of fear to what I am sensing now within myself, that was a fear born out of ignorance, this is... different, what I am feeling now, this is fear born out of knowing what lies ahead and its possible outcome" he stops and I realise what he is saying to me, he's scared that I am going to die.

"Eric," I say and once again he presses his finger against my lips silencing me.

"No, please, let me say this, I understand that we have to do this, I understand that it needs to be done, and I have agreed to stand beside you to accomplish the task, I even understand there will be casualties on both sides and I accept that but what I don't and won't accept is the thought of losing you, so that being said you need to know that if something were to happen to you on Thursday night and you do not survive, I will meet the sun on Friday morning" he stops and stares into my horrified face.

"NO!" I exclaim, I grip his arms, "No, for god's sake Eric, no, you can't! You have lived for thousands of years, you can't make a decision like that, you are a third generation vampire – you are one of the few remaining early members of your species and that is monumental, you can't end that kind of lifespan just because of me!"

Eric shakes his head, "You do not understand Sookie" he says willing me to understand, "I have not _lived_ for thousands of years, I have merely existed, I walked the earth and pragmatically made the best of things, yes I eventually embraced the lifestyle which Ocella forced upon me but I did not live."

He pauses and smiles, "I did not begin to live until that night Bill Compton first brought you to Fangtasia and I laid eyes on you, it was as if you had awakened me and made me see clearly for the first time in centuries.

It became my focus to remove you from Bill and to make you mine, you gave me a purpose, I needed you to be mine, and when you did eventually come to me, it brought a vibrancy into my existence which I could not ignore, I was seeing the world I had existed in for thousands of years differently, everything was brighter more colourful and...better.

You did that Sookie, so if you are to be taken from me on Thursday I couldn't bear to return to my former existence and I won't do it, so I have taken the decision that if you die... so will I"

Blood red tears are pouring down my cheeks I have never felt so cherished and adored in my life but the extent of Eric's love for me is overwhelming I had no idea he felt this way and it shames me to realise it but then it dawns on me I feel the same about him, I hadn't even considered the possibility him dying knowing what a great fighter he is but now the possibility has been firmly planted in my brain and I don't like how I feel about it. It gives me some understanding of what he is feeling as I know I wouldn't want to go on without him either.

"I'll make a deal with you," I say, I can feel my crazy Sookie smile filling my face. Eric raises his eyebrows in question. "I won't die as long as you don't either," I say.

I see him smile arrogantly, "I have no intention of dying in battle," he says, almost as though he is insulted by the very thought that anyone could kill him.

I shrug, "well then this conversation is moot, you're not going to die and neither am I," I say.

He wraps his arms around me once more and pulls me close. "I needed you to know" he whispers.

"I know and thank you, but it's irrelevant because I'm not going to die and neither are you," I repeat firmly.

We disturbed by a tapping on the door, I immediately listen and get the brainwaves of a fairy and I smile.

"It's Dermot," I say and pull myself out of Eric's arms. I open the front door and Dermot stands there, I immediately get a blast of fairy scent and my fangs drop, I grip the door and force myself not leap forward and drain the fairy in front of me.

"Eric, please help me, I want to feed so badly, if I get near him I'll kill him" I moan.

Eric grips me but he too is suffering against the delicious scent of the fairy in front of us.

"What do you need? Hurry I can't hold her long" he demands as he too is inching closer to Dermot.

"The Faery is at war, the portals have been sealed and civil war has broken out, they believe it was Max's doing and they believe he was responsible for Niall's death," he says taking a step back every time Eric takes a step forward towards him.

"Ok? What does this have to do with me?" I ask, Dermot knows that Ezekiel killed Niall but he doesn't know he and Silas sealed the Faery, and that is something which was agreed should be kept from him, unless he expressed a desire to go there and then he would be warned that if he did he wouldn't be able to return.

"I thought you should know" I stare at the fairy and something isn't right about this.

"Ok, so now I know, thank you, I don't mean to be rude Dermot but I am struggling here to control my desire to drain you so if that's everything?" my grip on the doorframe is so tight I start to hear splintering wood.

"Breandan and the Water Fae have taken control," he says.

"Ok?" I say, wondering where this is going.

"But the fighting is fierce I believe they will, in time, wipe each other out, until there is no-one left."

"Again, what does this have to do with me? Also, to be fair Dermot, why do you care, you were never exactly welcome in the Faery?" I ask.

Dermot nods, "You are the only person in the world who I could tell, I have no-one else now and there is the chance in time we could be the only Fae left in existence if things continue as they are doing," he says sadly.

Those words hit me like a punch in the gut and all desire I had to drain him leaves me in a rush. I turn to Eric, who is still struggling with his own urge to feed whilst trying to stop me.

"Eric, it's fine I'm ok now I won't hurt him" I let go of the door frame and reach for his hand, "It's fine Eric, step away I know you are struggling," I say.

"Do you have anywhere to go, where are you staying?" I ask kindly.

He smiles at me, "I am staying with Desmond's family, I have done for some time, but after I got word of what had happened, I needed to talk to...family and..." he trails off.

"I'm all you've got" I whisper. He nods sadly.

I realise there and then my survival on Thursday is compulsory, after hearing what Jason said after the meeting, which had floored me if I am totally honest, and with Eric's confession tonight and now this, I realise that my death would some affect people more than I ever realised possible.

Before I can stop myself or think of the possible ramifications I step forward and wrap my arms around Dermot. I focus hard as the fairy scent fills my nose but I am determined not to do anything inappropriate – like eat him.

"You always have me, ok, are you listening to me, you always have me, never be afraid to come to me, if you want to talk, you are my uncle, your brother was my grandfather so you are my uncle, my family and you have Jason too, I will introduce you, Jason is my brother, he doesn't have the essential spark but he is still your nephew" I say.

Dermot beams at this and nods enthusiastically. "I would like that, very much," he says, he grips my hand tightly, "thank you niece," he says.

"No problem" I reply.

Dermot takes a shot look at Eric who is inching closer again, "I think I'd better go" he says.

I look up at Eric, "Hey, snap out of it Eric, he's family!" I say, and with Herculean self-control, Eric stops at my side.

"Goodnight Dermot," I say kindly, returning my attention to my uncle. He smiles at me and with a small pop he is gone.

"God you smell so good now, you smell like you used to before I turned you" Eric moans as he nuzzles me, I giggle as I feel his fangs graze my neck.

"Down boy, let's get back inside," I say as I step back and shut the door.

We start to make our way to one of the upstairs bedrooms when there is another knock at the door, I look at Eric and he shrugs. Once again I listen and get the familiar Mori Demon thoughts of Jeremiah.

"It's Jeremiah," I say as I leave Eric's side and walk towards the door once more. So much for it being too quiet!

"Sookie, Eric," Jeremiah says as a greeting as soon as I open the door.

"Hi, what's up?" I ask, wondering what the reason is for this visit.

"We thought you might like to meet the guys who have volunteered for this mission?" he says, and gestures behind him.

I step outside and hear the sound of footsteps, a moment later I see Ezekiel and Silas rounding the corner with a large group of men. I run my eyes over them estimating around 100/150 men.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting so many," I say.

Ezekiel walks up to me and grasping my shoulders presses a kiss to my forehead. "These warriors were all there the last time we fought against Max they know what to expect and they didn't hesitate, but there will be no mercy this time," Ezekiel says grimly.

"Why did you spare him last time?" I ask, this is something which has been going over in my mind since I was told, it just doesn't seem real that Ezekiel would spare someone who had killed his best friend.

Ezekiel shakes his head, "I'm not totally sure, he seemed so defeated, all his followers were dead and he was on his knees and begged for mercy and I took the decision to give it, it went against every instinct I had but I felt it was the right thing to do at the time."

I frown, "Erm... I mean no disrespect but… you don't think you were manipulated into making that decision do you?" I ask carefully.

Ezekiel stares at me, and his eyes widen as he grasps what I am suggesting, "You mean mind control?" he asks.

"Just a thought," I say with a shrug, "can Max do that?" I add.

"Not as far as we are aware, but his dark magic abilities are legendary, so it is possible, and if it is, it explains an awful lot" Silas says.

"Well, it's definitely something we need to bear in mind when we go in there, make sure everyone is aware of this development," I say.

I see Eric immediately pull his phone out and quickly send out a text. A moment later his phone starts to ring, he glances at the screen.

"Alcide," he says as he puts the phone to his ear.

I can hear the Weres rumbling voice, loud and clear, Eric quickly reassures him and explains how we have received this information. He has barely hung up when Calvin calls with similar questions, Eric once again offers the same reassurance.

"Have you told Sam?" I ask and Eric nods.

"OK, then," I say as I quickly scan the minds of the large group of demons, I get nothing but positive reactions from all of their thoughts and they all are eager for Thursday to arrive and to get on with it.

I turn to face the men, "Hi y'all, I just want to say thank you for volunteering to help us all put a stop to Max and what he is doing I know you are all aware of the plan and I just want to say good luck to y'all and see you on Thursday" I stop speaking and I get a small ripple of applause and then one demon steps forward.

"We all watched you from afar when you were growing up, when you were a little girl we saw how special you were, the way you worked out without help how to deal with your telepathy, it killed us not to be able to approach you and explain things and help you deal with it when you were treated so badly by the clueless humans, but we couldn't just in case word got back to Niall.

It nearly killed us when we saw you being used by that Vampire, we saw the way he used how you had been treated to get you to trust him, there were many of us who wanted to step in and put an end to it there and then, but thankfully the Viking got in there and made you aware of his intentions and got you out of his clutches, but by then Niall had also come on the scene and it was even more important we kept away, although thankfully we could then send in Desmond to make himself known to you, as he had had dealings with Niall through his work and Niall knew he was friends with Fintan so it would seem reasonable for him to be there.

I have to tell you though, that there were many times over the years prior when you seemed so alone where Ezekiel nearly had a mutiny on his hands because we all wanted to intervene in your life to try and help you, so to step up and help you now, is the least we can do, and it makes sense what you said about the mind control thing, I mean we all knew Isaiah and we were gutted that we didn't get there in time to save him, so why would we then show mercy on Max after he did that? It doesn't make any sense that we would do that, but we didn't realise it didn't make sense until you pointed it out, and that is kind of worrying as to what sort of magic Max is capable of," the demon stops speaking and the others all murmur their agreement.

"Well, there will be no mercy this time," I say firmly. As I try and hold on to myself after hearing all that.

When we eventually go back inside after all the Mori Demons have gone, my mind is a roller coaster of emotions of everything that has happened and the new information we have learnt about Max.

"This Isaiah guy seemed to be special and held in high esteem by the Mori warriors?" I say to Eric.

He nods and smiles, "Isaiah was an incredible man, and don't forget he was your six times great grandfather" he pauses as I quickly wrack my brains and mentally go through my confusing and complicated family tree.

"His daughter Isabella was Silas's wife," I say as I recall the links" Eric nods.

"That is correct," he says nodding at me.

"He was also Sam's three times great grandfather, through Isabella's twin sister Maya and he was Lucien's great great grandfather" I add remembering the links, which had previously blown my mind.

Eric nods again, "That's right, as you know he was a True Shifter but he was also an amateur shaman and healer, his skills were limited and not strong but what he had, he used well and he was a good man, he only used his skills for good and to help people and he and Ezekiel were incredibly close friends.

That is why everyone thought he would be fine if he went to infiltrate the zombies, but he was reaching the end of his lifespan and he made a mistake and was discovered, It was a huge blow to everyone that Ezekiel didn't get there in time, and now looking back it does seem incredulous that he would grant clemency for the being who slaughtered his friend".

The silence spreads out between us, I can feel Eric's sadness he obviously knew Isaiah well.

"Did you know him well?" I ask.

Eric nods, "I did, he was very open-minded, he treated all species as equals he didn't believe anyone was better than anyone else, which was rare for a True Shifter of his standing, but he treated all he met with respect, and as such he was lamented when he passed, there was no body, Max had completely destroyed him but Ezekiel organised a memorial ceremony for him, and it was huge, Shifters, Weres, Demons, and Vampires all came to pay their respects, and even the Elementals made an appearance," Eric says as he remembers.

"But not Fairies," I say quietly.

Eric snorts, "Niall was always of the opinion that the Fae were above every other supernatural being, he looked down on those he believed inferior which encompassed most of the Supernatural world. He was the epitome of everything that was wrong with the Fae, he was self-centred, he believed he was better than everyone else, he ruthlessly enforced rules and regulations which he failed to follow himself, the very beings he looked down on and dismissed as irrelevant he wouldn't think twice about using if he felt it would benefit him, he was the epitome of the 'trickiness' of the Fae". Eric says bitterly.

"I saw that for myself that evening at the meeting, the way he tried to make out Lucien was in no danger, just because he felt the Faery and his position there was being threatened, but he wouldn't have thought twice about turning on him when everything was sorted out," I say.

Eric nods and a sudden thought occurs to me, "Max was planning to take over the Faery as well as this realm?" I say.

Eric nods again, "He was."

"Perhaps that is why the Fae enjoyed a resurgence in the birth rate of late, it wasn't a side effect of the magic it was deliberate, so he had a ready food supply for himself in the Faery," I say.

Eric considers this, "Very possibly" he says thoughtfully.

Dermot's visit pops into my mind and I shake my head, Eric looks at me, "What is it?" he asks.

"After everything you have said it made me think, and I was just remembering Dermot's visit tonight, It makes me angry you know, that Niall screwed around and had two Halfling sons, he revered Fintan and yet essentially disowned Dermot, he really was a complete asshole," I say.

Eric smiles, "he was, but his existence and that of those like him and in some cases even worse, like Max, make you appreciate those who are inherently good, Isaiah was one of those people, Lucien is another, and you my love are another" he stops and caresses my face with his hand.

I can feel his love but I can also feel his sadness as he remembers Isaiah, along with the other emotions churning around inside him, and I want to offer him comfort but at the same time I need him so I close my eyes and lean into his caress and grip his wrist, he pulls me close and I walk into to him and press myself against him, I feel his arms immediately encircle me holding me tightly.

"I need you" I whisper to him.

Wordlessly he effortlessly lifts me into his arms and carries me to the bedroom, and we are soon naked and giving each other what we both need.

"I love you" I whisper to him, as I feel him push himself inside me.

"And I love you" he replies.

I close my eyes and savour the feel of him in me and around me, consuming me, as he begins to move and soon we are lost in each other.


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

Thursday evening finally arrives and the enormity of what is going to happen tonight washes over me as I open my eyes. I take a moment to indulge in a little denial of what is going to happen and deliberately marvel at the process of rising instead.

It is totally different from waking up as a human as there is no grogginess or need for coffee to kick-start the brain into action, the instant alertness and total awareness was a little startling at first, but I am now getting used to it, but it is the moment before my eyes open that I like best, the moment I can feel animation returning to my body, it's like a gushing sensation which runs through my entire body and every fibre in me tingles as the life courses through me, forcing me to open my eyes.

As soon as my eyes open, the perfect memory and recall abilities associated with being a vampire bombard me with what I need to do that night and tonight's to do list isn't like anything I have ever had to do before, and hopefully after tonight I won't have to do anything like it again.

I remember the conversation I had with Eric, and the thought that if something does happen to me tonight will result in his final death, still leaves me feeling dismayed that he would be so adamant that his lengthy existence wouldn't be worth continuing, without me by his side. As I think this I turn my head, and there he is simply watching me, Eric always rises before me due to his great age and he normally either disappears for a shower or just sits naked in the chair at the side of the bed to wait for me to rise.

I like it when he chooses to do that, as when I open my eyes the first sight that greets me is his carefully posed naked body for me to feast my greedy eyes on, and sometimes to be totally blatant about what he is thinking, he will be sitting his legs apart lazily stroking himself, but tonight he is still in bed lying beside me with his arm wrapped tightly around me, his grip eases as I roll towards him.

"Hi" I whisper.

He smiles at me and gently kisses me.

"Good evening lover, are you ready for tonight?" he asks.

I nod, "as I'll ever be!" I say.

"We need to get up, Thalia will be here shortly but I want to be selfish and have you to myself for just a little while longer," he says as he nuzzles me.

"I can live with that idea," I say and I take a moment to run my hands over him and really take in every inch of him, I have done this many times but tonight I feel a desperate need to do it.

"I love you, and tonight neither of us is going to die and we will come home and we will make love and fall into our day deaths in each other's arms, do we have a deal?" I say trying to keep my voice even.

"We have a deal," Eric says and he kisses me once more. "I want to make love to you now, but perhaps the promise of what is to come will help keep both of us safe knowing what we will be doing when it is all over," he says with a small smile.

"I love you and we will prevail," I say emphatically.

"I love you too and yes, we will prevail" he repeats.

We reluctantly leave the room and as we reach the kitchen Pam and Karin are waiting with Lucien and Thalia and Thalia has a flask, she thrusts it at me.

"I was asked to get this for you," she says and looks at Eric as though what she has done has gone against everything she believes in, and then I realise it probably does.

"Thank you" I whisper as I take it from her, Eric nods at Thalia.

"Thank you, I know you believe it is wrong to spoil her like this, but she needs to have every advantage tonight, she needs to be well fed and rested, it is essential because if she has to hunt before leaving she will be neither, you know what happens when we hunt it's like snacking, I need her to be totally prepared for tonight".

Thalia nods, "I have had word that the Wolves are in position around the Warehouse already, the Panthers are meeting us at Fangtasia and we are all heading out together, the Mori Warriors are meeting us there," she says.

Lucien stands up and stretches, he is unusually quiet tonight, there are none of the usual quips or light-hearted comments, I walk over to him as I am drinking my blood.

"Are you ok?" I ask him quietly.

He smiles at me, "Yeah just a bit apprehensive, I've never gone into battle before" he says.

I pause and touch his arm reassuringly, "I know, we all know that, which is why you are not going to be part of the main fighting, and neither am I, everyone has a role which is best suited to them, mine is one to one, so I am targeting Max, Eric, the other vampires, Weres and Mori Warriors are all used to being in the thick of it, so that is their job, to do the lions share of eliminating the opposition, and you... well, your strength is that no-one is going to argue with a dragon, so your task to finish it.

He nods in agreement and I can tell he is relieved about what is required of him as he really isn't a warrior as such.

"Are you ok with that role?" I ask him to make sure.

"Yes, of course, I just want to do my part," he says, and I smile, he may not be a natural ruthless killer like Eric, Pam, Karin or Thalia but he is honourable and wants to make sure he pulls his weight with everyone.

Our conversation is suddenly interrupted, "Shall we go then if you are ready my love?" Eric asks looking at me.

I quickly finish the blood and wipe my mouth, "I'm good now, but don't you need to feed?" I ask, but Eric shakes his head.

"No, I like to go into battle hungry it gives me an edge," he says with a fangy grin.

I can feel his excitement rising, nothing gets Eric going more than the prospect of a good battle, but I can still feel his anxiety through the bond and his concern about me.

He disappears into the other room and returns with his sword, I get a twinge as I remember him presenting it to me at our wedding, but tonight it will be used for the purpose it was made for. I watch him as he wordlessly attaches it to his back.

We all head out in silence and waiting at Fangtasia is Calvin and all the Panthers, they haven't changed yet although the air around all of them is shimmering so it won't be long, my brother is there and he looks carefully at me.

"Hi Jason," I say quietly.

"Hey Sookie, well this is it, stay safe ok," he says and I nod.

"You too," I reply.

We all head out to the warehouse, it doesn't take long and we are soon all spread out around the perimeter, we are a fair distance away but we don't need binoculars to see the building as our vampire sight is enough to know that the place is crawling with zombies.

I close my eyes and listen, on the far side of the building are all the Wolves and Alcide, from what I can tell they are still in human form at the moment but eager to get things started, to the left is Ezekiel and a team of Mori demons, to the right is Silas and another team and behind me with the area 5 vampires either side of him is Jeremiah and a third smaller team of Mori Warriors.

As I listen I hear ranting thoughts, they are disjointed and quite rambling there is nothing coherent just a jumble of anger, fear and paranoia and I realise this must be Max, I listen to the zombies around him and not one of them thinks what he is doing is a good idea, but they are prepared to go along with it as they don't want to end up like the prisoners in the back room. Wait...prisoners that is new information.

I spin on the spot and face Eric, he looks at me questioningly, "what is it?" he asks.

"They have prisoners" I hiss.

"What?!" Eric exclaims I quickly outline what I have heard and as I am speaking I send a text to Alcide, Ezekiel, Silas and Jeremiah informing them of what I have heard and warning them all to be vigilant, the last thing we want is to kill innocents.

I feel the wind get up and look and sure enough appearing around us are some of the Elementals as I watch more appear and then the Fire Elementals start to materialise.

"They have prisoners in a back room," I tell the Shreef at my side and it nods.

"Very well, we will place a protection around the room should we need to produce a firestorm," the Shreef says, a moment later I hear a chorus of howling and I know Alcide and the wolves have now shifted.

"Ok then this is it", I look at Eric, and as if they have all been orchestrated, everyone around us moves back and gives Eric and I some space. I reach out my hand to touch his face, Eric takes it in his as I make contact with his cheek.

"Stay safe do you understand me?" I say to him.

He nods, "remember our deal" he growls, and I smile.

"I couldn't forget it" I whisper and I squeeze his hand, he squeezes back and then as he lets me go he firmly slams the bond shut, it feels as though he is gone completely and because he has gone I can no longer feel Pam or Karin either, they feel the moment the bond has shut down as they both look up towards us and nod, I wonder if he has shut them out too, from their expressions I believe that he has.

I swallow hard at the feeling of being alone, which is how I always feel when the bond has been closed, but I can understand his reasoning, neither of us wants to be distracted by the other whilst in the middle of a battle.

I call over to my sisters suddenly needing to reach out to them, "Pam, Karin, stay safe" I call.

They both nod, "You too" they reply.

I repeat the comment to Jason and Calvin and they simply nod in response.

I look at Lucien who is watching proceedings, "Stay safe" I say to him and he nods firmly.

"You too Sookie" he replies.

I look around, "Ok, good luck everyone and try and stay safe" there is a murmuring from everyone, and almost immediately I get the thoughts of Ezekiel, Silas and Jeremiah, they are sending me silent messages of positivity and comfort and I take them gratefully.

I nod "Ok then here goes," I close my eyes and I concentrate, I feel my features altering, I am wearing some of Jason's clothes thankfully we are both around the same size height wise but slowly I start to fill them out, when I feel the transformation is complete I open my eyes and look anxiously at Eric.

"Will I fool them?" I ask.

Eric nods, "You look and sound just like Dermot," he says proudly.

I close my eyes again and almost immediately snow starts to fall heavily but silently around us, a moment later I break cover and walk purposefully towards the warehouse. I can feel the eyes of everyone on me as I walk, apparently unaccompanied, across the deserted car park.

I listen and I can sense everyone around the perimeter waiting, I sense the excitement and anxiety for the forthcoming battle and then I sense movement directly around me and know that the elementals are shadowing me but as yet are invisible. As I get closer to the warehouse and my presence is noted and causes excitement amongst the Zombies.

Two zombies come out and approach me. "Hello, I'm looking for Maximillian, I have word from the Faery," I say.

They look at me suspiciously, "Dermot? Dermot Brigant what brings you to Max?" one says.

"I have information," I say.

They look at each other and one turns and leaves, a moment later a tall Zombie approaches and his thoughts are bouncing around, at first I think this must be Maximillian.

I am about to open my mouth when two zombies think something which makes me realise they know I'm not Dermot, _what is that thing, it's definitely fairy but there is so much more _and then the other one thinks _Max won't come out, so if this thing believes this is Max we know it's an imposter _and at the same time I get a warning from the invisible Shreef that this is not the real Maximillian.

I stare at the Max, "Are you really Maximillian?" I ask and smile, "because I don't think you are" I glare at the Zombies, "stop wasting my time with these tricks."

The zombie's mouths drop open and one goes back inside again, when he returns he nods and we are escorted inside. I see another tall man, he looks agitated and he is visibly twitching, his brain waves are hard to get a grip on, I sense the elementals getting into position and I hear a voice of the Shreef.

"That is the real Max, we can begin."

I walk up to the real Max and listen to his mind, he is suspicious but excited he hasn't heard a word from the Faery and he is wondering what has happened. He is staring at me and is wondering why Dermot is here to see him.

"Maximillian I bring word from the Faery," I say.

"Good, I can't seem to contact my brother," he says, then his thoughts start jumping around erratically.

I nod, "Civil War has broken out in the Faery, and Niall is dead," I say.

This brings a huge grin on his face and his thoughts get all the more excited and erratic.

I work my way into his head and slowly figure out how to control his mind, it takes a few moments of small talk before I can confidently will him to do something.

"Perhaps you and I could talk privately, I have further information which is for your ears only," I say.

He nods excitedly and I will him to lead me to the back room, but when he starts to walk that way he suddenly veers off to a side room and steps inside, but this is enough, I can work with this, but it also warns me that I don't have complete control over him.

He is tricky and totally insane but at least I now have him separated from all the others, so happy that I have completed this part of the mission, I send the thunderbolt and the Zombies all cower in fright at the sound. The elementals make themselves visible and immediately all hell breaks loose. Max glances all around him in shock and I quickly step inside and I will the door to shut and it does so with clang, separating us from the chaos going on the other side of it.

"What is this?!" Max shrieks and tries to dart past me to escape the room.

I summon a fireball and flick my wrist and it hits him knocking him backwards, but curiously doesn't harm him. I think this must because I am using energy to keep my disguise in place so I make a decision and I abandon all pretence of my disguise and regain my own features he stares at me.

"What magic is this?" he whispers in awe he steps closer and takes me in.

I am on full alert and my fangs run out, he sees them and he freezes.

"Vampire! Yet I also smell Fae" he pauses and his eyes widen "and Shifter and Mori" he gasps and his hand comes to his mouth in shock.

"It cannot be, are you? I was told you were a male if you are then I was lied to, no wonder I was stopped before, but you? No, this isn't right, what are you, who are you?"

He is unnerving me, his rambling thoughts and jumping from one thing to another, I feel a buzzing vibration deep in my head and realise he must be trying to control my mind, I fight it and the buzzing stops, he circles me staring at me with crazy eyes.

"I smell power, you know magic and you know it well, you will be an asset in my plan, I wanted you before you know," a greedy gleam appears in his crazy eyes and as I hear the battle raging outside and I know it's time for me to end this.

Yet I want to know if I was right with my theories and if not what his plans actually were.

"What is your plan?" I ask mildly.

He giggles like an excited child, "why the End of Days of course, it's a brilliant plan its totally fantastic no-one would see it coming and yet they would all suffer and they deserve it you know they are the scourge of the supernatural world they all deserve to die" he says in a rush not pausing for breath, I stare at him trying to take in the rambled flood of words which just tumbled from his mouth.

"Who?" I ask, wondering which supernaturals have earned his wrath so vehemently.

"Shifters" he spits "and Weres they are all as bad as each other you see I would still be Fae if it wasn't for that stinking Shifter who masqueraded as a doctor who turned me into what I now am I am going to eliminate every shifter and Were in existence" he stops again and I marvel at his ability to say so much without pause or breath. I return my attention to him as he is still ranting.

"I had to get rid of humans as well because if there are no humans then Vampires will need to feed on other Supes so I need vampires to feed on Weres and shifters so I cast some magic on vampires to will them to increase their number and they will feed on Weres and shifters and they will all die I have increased their numbers because I mean the vampires no harm although I do now wish vampires to suffer as well but they have to help me first do you understand they have to help they are central to my plan."

I shake my head, he is beyond crazy, I am finding it hard to keep track and I try once more to get a grip on his mind so I can control him, but it proves to be just too hard, I find it ironic that batshit crazy can't be controlled. As I think this Alexei pops unexpectedly into my mind and how his insanity made it impossible for Ocella to keep him under control.

Max is still ranting and I tune him in one more "I will go to the Faery and gather my army which I have been preparing because I reversed their fertility problems I can do that you know because I am powerful and... and I did it".

I am shocked, he really sounds like a small child making up fantastical schemes in his head, but the scary thing is he has done them for real, and his plan all becomes horrifyingly clear, he was going to go to the Faery, take over, gather his army of fairies which he would place under his control and bring them back to this realm to then take over this world, but he also has an element of revenge against Weres and Shifters for the doctor who turned him into a zombie and this has evolved into a hatred of all Weres and shifters.

"So you want to take over the world?" I ask.

"Oh yes of course I do I need to do it and I need to possess you to do it" he stops and steps closer peering at me, "your magic will intensify everything so much I have managed to do so much but with you under my control as well I will be invincible I thought you were male but you're not but that doesn't matter"

I smile at him, he thinks I'm Lucien, "Who do you think I am, because I'm pretty sure I'm not who you think I am?" I whisper.

His crazy smile slips slightly, "You are Darius's boy taking on female form" he says confidently.

I shake my head, "Nope, I'm totally and genuinely female, I'm little Sookie Stackhouse daughter of two humans" I say.

He stares at me, But... but, but" he stammers, and he shakes his head furiously.

"But don't worry Lucien is here, along with a lot of my friends we are here to stop your world domination plans," I say.

At these words he leaps on me and the buzzing in my head intensifies, but I fight and push back I pull out my dagger and stab him repeatedly but it has no effect on him, he simply heals immediately, so I summon negative energy and a large fireball starts to form in my hand his eyes widen and he stares at me.

"Mori" he mutters.

"Amongst other things," I say with a shrug and flick my wrist, the second fireball hits him and throws him across the room.

But surprisingly like the first it doesn't harm him either, I stare at him in shock and he squeals with deranged laughter "You think I will be hurt no not while I am protected by their magic while they live I am invincible but I need more so I need Darius's boy," he laughs as the words continue to tumble out of him without apparent need for pause.

Then he abruptly stops laughing and stares at me as if he has only just processed who I am, "You are her the Viking's progeny who has Fae royalty blood and also Shifter and Mori blood I want you too just like I wanted Darius's boy I need you for my plans I must have you" he shrieks.

I stare at him but then he starts to ramble a bit more and I am finding it hard to process everything he is saying as he is saying everything so fast and with no pause between words.

"You are Fintan's granddaughter I know all about you Ocella believed you bewitched his progeny he didn't want you with him he was trying to stop you I had to stop him he had to go I made him believe he had met with the first vampire so gullible he really believed it just like he believed I had cured him he wanted you dead so he had to be stopped because I wanted you I need you along with Darius's boy for my great plan I will be invincible for centuries with your magic running through me."

He jumps up and down and claps his hands and I stare in horrified disbelief at what I have just heard, but the words of the Shreef run through my head, '_there are those who do not like that you have become linked with the Vampire, and those who fear you for what you have become as a result and what you are still to become' _it becomes clear that Ocella was the one who didn't like it that I had become involved with Eric, but those who fear me? If what I have heard is correct then this maniac doesn't fear me, he covets me, so who fears me for what I have become?

My attention is drawn back to Max who is still talking, and then he gives me the answer I am searching for, "I have you now I am so pleased it was only a matter of time before Breandan found you and killed you I had told him about you how I wanted you and just like Darius's boy he was afraid they were all afraid of Darius's boy a child born of a vampire is the stuff of fantasy they all feared him and wanted him dead so when it became clear you were also special Breandan wanted you dead too he always wanted you dead because you were tainted Fae but when I told him about how special you were he _really_ wanted you dead so I had to get to you first so I accelerated my plans and it worked because here you are," he gives a little squeal and claps his hands again as I make sense of everything he has just said.

So there we have it. The anger rises in me as I realise the true extent of his deranged plan he didn't want to kill Lucien or me he wanted to possess us, he wanted us for his world domination plan, and I believe it also has something to do with the prisoners he has held captive here but I can't work out what.

I hurl myself at him and proceed to stab, hack, bite, gouge and generally try and destroy him but nothing happens, he heals immediately and nothing I do harms him.

He laughs, "I am invincible nothing you do will harm me while they live I cannot be killed and they are protected they cannot be harmed."

That gives me the answer I am searching for, it comes to me in a rush, the prisoners, he has weaved some kind of magic so that he can leach from them and prevent himself from dying. This is what he wants Lucien and me for to either join them or take their places, so we need to get to them and break the spell.

How am I going to get the upper hand here to accomplish that goal?

I decide to focus on his mind, I have managed to find a little penetration there, that is his weakness if I can just get a hold for a short while, I focus completely and will him to come towards me, it works and I grab him and using all my strength and will I maintain a hold on him and will the door to open, I watch as the door flies open in front of me and still holding Max in a death grip I make my way out.


	24. Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

As I leave that small room dragging Max with me I look around and the sight that greets me is one of utter devastation and bits of dead zombies everywhere, but as I look around I thankfully don't see any of our people amongst the casualties and body parts.

Max howls with anger as he takes in the carnage and struggles to get away from me but I respond with a tighter grip on him and will him to be silent and still, it clearly looks like it is all over and so I quickly scan the room searching for my loved ones and friends, I quickly count them off as I find them, Pam, Karin, Thalia, Jeremiah, Alcide who is still prowling around in his wolf form, and I see other members of the Long Tooth pack and the Panthers in various stages of transforming back into humans, I spot Calvin who has now totally changed back and is standing there totally naked, I count the other area five vampires but I don't see my husband or my brother... I glance at Calvin and he looks at me.

"Jason?" I question when his gaze meets mine and he nods towards the sleek Black Panther who I realise is soon going to turn back into a human shortly as the air around it is shimmering. I make eye contact with the animal and immediately know it is Jason. Ok then my brother is alright but where is my husband?

I resume my search looking for the one person I still haven't yet laid eyes on and the one person I need to see more than any other, I scan the room once more but I still can't see Eric, I realise as I see the Mori Warriors milling around that I can't see Ezekiel and Silas either but Eric is my main concern and I start to panic slightly.

"ERIC?" I call out unable to contain my rising panic. The bond between us which has been closed since Eric shut it earlier abruptly reopens and I feel him and the rush of his emotions engulfs me, I am immediately relieved that he is obviously alive and well going by the emotions which I am now feeling. I am getting the euphoric high he is still clearly on from the battle, his love for me and the relief that I am alive along with a feeling of revulsion, before I can question what that last emotion is all about, I hear him.

"I am over here lover" he calls.

I turn my head towards his voice and see him right across the other side of the room along with Ezekiel and Silas piling up body parts. So that answers the reason he is feeling revulsion! As our eyes meet I almost sag with relief and only because I am hanging on to Max do I not do just that, and I immediately pour my love down the bond towards him and I see him receive it and he smiles widely at me.

Everyone is covered in blood and body matter and they are staring at me and Max and I see the question on their faces and also as I open my mind I hear it in their heads, 'why isn't that fucker dead?' So I look around once more and answer their unspoken question.

"We have a problem" I say, gesturing with my head, nodding towards the zombie I am still gripping tightly.

"He won't fucking die, I can't even hurt him, everything I do to him and believe me I have thrown everything at him, including a big ass fireball and he is impervious to it all, not even a scratch but I think I know why, he said as long as he is protected by _their_ magic while _they_ live he will be invincible, whoever _they_ are" I say, although I think I have worked out the answer to that one.

As I say this I see his eyes dart towards the back room and this confirms the suspicions I had regarding the prisoners and so I voice them.

"I think 'they' whoever they are, are the prisoners he has held in the back room, and they are somehow linked to him and making him invincible and impervious to any attack, we all make our way over to the room in the corner, but as everyone tries to get close they are thrown back, the room is impenetrable and Max laughs as nobody can get near the door, let alone through it.

"The room is protected the door is enchanted only I can enter the room" he taunts.

I stare at him, "Just the door?" I ask carefully.

"And the walls the door is attached to," he supplies helpfully.

I nod "Ok just the door and the inner walls?" I confirm.

He nods smirking at me and proudly gazes at his handy work and I smile as well as I have just had an idea. I close my eyes and find Lucien who is pacing around outside waiting to enter, he still thinks he is on mopping up duty but I have had another idea where he could possibly help instead, so I enter his mind and quickly speak to him.

_Lucien, can you hear me?_

_Loud and clear Sookie is it my turn now? _He responds eagerly.

I smile as I hear the eagerness in his voice, _Yep it's your turn but there has been a slight change of plan, no mopping up to be done as all the Zombies are dead, but if you could come in and let me show you what we need you to do, because there is a back room we need to get into but the door is enchanted and we can't enter and it is inaccessible any other way through here and so we need your help to change that._

_On my way_ is the immediate response a moment later Lucien comes in and makes his way towards us.

"Hey Luce, " I say brightly, "As you can see everyone has done a brilliant job of wiping out all the zombies apart from this fucker" I pause as I shake Max roughly.

Lucien looks at me questioningly.

I smile at him "You see, we have a slight problem, I can't even hurt him, everything I do to him doesn't do a damn thing to him and so because I can't hurt him I can't kill him either which has pissed me off considerably, and we have good reason to believe the reason why is being held captive in that room, I think he has some sort of link set up with the prisoners being held in there but we can't get into them, because he has a spell on the inner walls and that door, so, that is where you come in my friend, because we need to get in there and to do so we need to get inventive."

I look up at the roof as I say this and Lucien grins immediately catching on to the idea I have had.

"With pleasure," he says.

As he walks away he calls over his shoulder casually, "You all might want to take cover as there could be some falling debris."

I watch as realisation dawns on everyone, as to what Lucien is going to do (except Max who just looks confused at that exchange he has just witnessed) and as one everyone moves away from the room to the other side of the warehouse and we wait. Max is watching wide-eyed and curious like a child.

A moment later the whole building shakes as something large lands on the roof and then flames burst through and bits of melted roof tumble to the ground. Soon the room is exposed although the walls and door are untouched.

"Ok hold it there Lucien" I call, "What do you see?"

I wait and a moment later Lucien's voice is in my head and I repeat what I hear him describe. I look towards everyone who are all waiting patiently for information.

"He says there are three emaciated men chained to a wall, he senses one is a Fairy, one is a Shifter and one is a Mori they are clearly under some sort of spell and the wall they are chained to has incantations and spells written on it, and he says that they have no consciousness of their surroundings, but other than that they appear unhurt."

"We need to get in there!" Ezekiel says and I see a fireball forming in his hand.

"No, stop, don't do it, it won't work, and it could bounce back and hurt someone here," I say still hanging on to Max.

Ezekiel nods and the fireball vanishes, we all look up and see movement and flashes of crimson through the now damaged roof as Lucien moves around on it. I can hear him thinking and trying to figure out how to get inside.

I am also trying to work out how to get in still when an idea comes to me, "Lucien, what is behind the room?" I ask.

_Outside walls _is the response.

I think quickly, "Lucien listen to me, try and destroy one of the outside walls, don't hurt the prisoners but try and get us a way inside to them."

I see Max stiffen at my words and I know I'm on to something, he starts muttering a spell and as quick as a flash I grab my dagger and ram it into his mouth to force it open, it isn't causing any damage and everyone stares at the lack of damage and blood but it is stopping him from speaking, which is my intention.

"Quickly Lucien, Max is trying to cast a spell on the outer walls to protect them" I call.

I hear flapping of wings and a rush of fire and then a crash.

_The wall is down Sookie_ _and the prisoners are fine, totally unhurt._

I smile with satisfaction and turn to everyone "Lucien has got us in we need to go outside and get into the room.

_Hang on there Sookie and I'll make you a new exit, stand back from the wall._

"Get back everyone, Lucien is going to make us a new exit" I call.

A moment later and after another rush of fire, a hole has appeared in the now melted and burnt wall near us and an enormous dragon head peers in filling the gap.

I grin widely and before I can stop myself an amused giggle erupts from my mouth at the visual I am getting and Max stares at the dragon stupefied by what he is seeing.

He is shaking with fear and trying to get behind me and he is actually whimpering. I yank him forward and pull out the dagger which prevented him from speaking.

"Stand still will you and stop being a baby" I snap.

"But...But...But, it's a dragon," he stammers pointing at Lucien.

I laugh, "Nothing gets past you does it, Max!" I say sarcastically, and there is a ripple of laughter around the room.

"Let me introduce you guys, Lucien this Maximillian zombie leader with delusions of grandeur and total nutcase, and Max, don't be scared this is Lucien, now _he_ is Darius's boy – I told you he was here didn't I!" I say to the dumbstruck zombie.

I watch as Lucien shows off a little and lets out a small burst of fire from his mouth, Max squeaks and once again tries to hide behind me.

"Oh stop it!" I say sharply to Max who just whimpers again.

I shake my head and slip into Max's thoughts which were all over the place but are now more focused than they have been all the time I have been with him, all he can think of is the dragon in front of him and it is making it easier for me to access his mind and gain more control over him.

I look at Lucien who is still showing off and I grin "Lucien stop it you're scaring him" I say in a mock stern voice.

I turn to everyone who are all just standing watching silently with smiles on their faces.

"Ok enough of the theatrics, shall we see what Max has been keeping in that room now all the introductions have been done" I say grimly.

There are murmurs of agreement and slowly we all clamber through the hole Lucien has made and make our way around to the other one a short distance away and carefully we all step back inside and find ourselves in the small enclosed room, but nothing could prepare us for what we see as we enter and the awful sight that greets us immediately crushes the almost jovial atmosphere of a moment ago when we were teasing Max. I gasp as I take in the three beings who are chained up and as Lucien had described there are incantations written on the wall they are chained to.

I take in each man, they all have their heads bowed and they have glazed fixed expressions, they have no idea who they are, where they are or what they are doing here. I immediately step forward but something prevents me from getting too close. But what shocks me most is Ezekiel and Silas's reactions when they see the men.

They both yell out in anguished pain and rush forward only for them to be held back by some sort of magic as well.

"Who are they?" I ask not looking at anyone in particular but just hoping someone will answer my question, as I get a distinct impression not only Ezekiel and Silas recognise them but Eric also does and so do all of the Mori warriors who have all joined us in the room as well by the gasps and the expression on all their faces.

Ezekiel stares at me, "As unbelievable as this may sound but this is Isaiah and this is Malachy," he says pointing at each man.

"I have no idea who that is though" he says pointing to the third man.

Eric is still staring open-mouthed so I know this is the truth, I hear Sam gasp at the name Isaiah and Lucien who is now back in human form is just silently staring at his great grandfather and great great grandfather.

Max laughs, "I was in the Faery when Malachy went to kill Niall he was my first captive along with the fairy I don't know who he was but he was necessary for my plan I needed his magic" he says this almost proudly and I feel sickened by it.

Max continues to brag, "Then when I tried to initiate my End of Days mission and take Darius's boy and was thwarted I took the Shifter you all thought he was dead but I had him and my magic has kept him alive all these years and he serves me and it was Malachy's magic which helped me convince you to let me go" he laughs again.

"Malachy, Isaiah do you hear me?" Eric calls out.

"They can't hear you" Max taunts.

I realise they are all linked, I look from the men to Max and an idea comes to me.

"Eric" I call.

Immediately my husband is by my side, "Sookie" he whispers.

I push Max towards him, "Hold him, I need to try something, and don't let him go because if this works, tonight he dies, if he starts to speak to cast a spell to try and stop me shove this in his mouth" I say and I pass Eric my dagger.

Eric smiles as he takes the dagger from me and holds Max in a grip so tight that I almost wince.

I walk over to the wall, and I open up my mind and I try to search the minds of the men in front of me and as I do so I see something which is radiating from them and casting the shield around them, I approach the fairy first, and concentrating hard I try and mentally push at the shield, to my surprise I manage to get straight through and so I then try and penetrate his brain, it appears that there is a something similar to a black tar like mass in his mind which was producing the shield and that is now bubbling furiously trying to rebuild it, as I have destroyed the shield I move around it and I prod it with my mind and it shrinks dramatically so I simply will it away and much to my surprise it vanishes and the fairy lifts his head, blinks and stares at his surroundings.

"Don't be scared, I'm here to help you" I say, as his gaze falls on me, I reach forward and I unchain the fairy and help him down, the fairy looks at me gratefully but also sadly.

"You can't help us, the only way to help us is to kill us, the magic is too strong, whatever you just did to me, you need to do to these two and then you need to kill us, only then will the spell be broken and only then you can end that evil thing, while we live he cannot be killed, nothing will harm him." he nods towards Max as he explains everything.

"I understand, what is your name?" I ask.

"Brayen" the fairy replies.

I feel recognition through the bond from Eric at that name and realise he must know him, but he doesn't say anything out loud.

"I am of the Sky Fae my father is Niall Brigant, does he still live?" the fairy asks.

I shake my head, "No, Niall is dead" the fairy nods and then smiles.

"Good," he says which surprises me then he looks at me closely. "Who are you?" He asks.

I smile, "I'm Sookie, my grandfather was Fintan the Halfling son of Niall Brigant," I say.

The fairy gapes at me, "Fintan, is he still alive?" he asks hopefully.

I shake my head, "No, he died before I was born" I say.

The fairy looks around the room, and I see the moment he sees my husband, recognition fills his face, "Eric? Eric Northman?" he says.

Eric nods, "It is I," he says stiffly and the fairy chuckles and shakes his head.

"I might have guessed you'd still live," the fairy says. He then returns his attention back to me. "Please end this suffering for all of us, free their minds as you did to me and then kill them and free their bodies."

I nod and focus on Malachy, I repeat what I did before but this time I don't hesitate and I blast through the shield and then find the black tar like mess in his head and I will it away, he comes into consciousness and stares around the room, Ezekiel and Silas rush to him and unchain him while Max is gurgling trying to form words to try and stop me, but my dagger is now firmly lodged back in his mouth and Eric has no intention of removing it, in fact, every time Max tries to speak he rams it in a little bit further.

Malachy looks at me, "Thank You child, now please kill me and end this madness" he says.

"NO" Ezekiel shouts.

"Yes, father" Malachy protests, he reaches out for his father's hand, "it is the only way to end this once and for all, Maximillian has to be stopped and it is the only way, we cannot live if we don't want him to survive."

I turn to Isaiah and quickly ask Sam and Alcide to get ready to unchain the Shifter as he looks to be the weakest of the three. They immediately move forward. Once more I break the shield and enter the mind of Isaiah and remove the blackness from his mind.

His frail voice barely whisper the words "thank you, now kill me" as he collapses into Sam and Alcide's waiting arms.

I look from Max to the three men, "Does it matter what order?" I ask.

With what looks like an enormous amount of effort Isaiah lifts his head.

"Yes the order which he took us, it is essential it is done in the order he took us for the magic to be broken" I remember that Isaiah was a sort of shaman and knew of magic.

"Thank you," I say. "Who was taken first?" I ask the fairy.

"I was" he replies.

I walk over to Eric who watches me carefully and I reach forward and remove the sword from his back.

"May I?" I ask and he nods, he gives me a look of immense pride and I feel it through the bond along with encouragement and love.

I can feel the revulsion rising inside me at what I am about to do, but as I feel Eric sending me the encouragement and pride through the bond, it gives me strength, it doesn't make the task I am about to do easier but knowing that Eric understands how I am feeling helps a little.

I walk back over to the fairy, "I'm sorry, I..." I whisper, trailing off as the words fail me.

"Do not be sorry, you need to do this, do it now and end this madness" he whispers and he deliberately kneels in front of me and bows his head.

I glance at Eric who sends encouragement and love through the bond, I take an unnecessary breath and with one swift movement I decapitate the fairy and Max lets out a howl of pain.

I walk over to Malachy who is still flanked by Ezekiel and Silas.

"Who was taken next?" I ask although I think from what I already know that it was probably Malachy.

Malachy confirms this by lifting his head, "It was I" he says.

I nod and gripping Eric's sword I step forward looking at Ezekiel and Silas. They look back at me sadly and with a look of resignation on their faces as they have now accepted what has to happen next, again I really don't want to do this especially as I know Malachy's story, but I steel myself for the moment but as I step forward to kill him I feel a hand on my arm as Lucien steps forward.

"I'll do this one," he says with a strong voice, Malachy looks up at him and he stares at him questioningly.

"Lucien you don't have to," I say.

"Who are you?" Malachy says to Lucien.

Lucien straightens, "My name is Lucien, and my father was Darius who was the son of Mireya and Iniko so that makes you my great-grandfather," he says his voice wobbling a little.

Malachy smiles widely and nods, "My great-grandson," he says proudly, "I will be honoured to die by your hand to finish this" he says calmly.

Lucien smiles, but it is a sad smile and he gestures towards me, "and this is Sookie, she is also related to you through Silas but there are far more greats involved in her line" he says, Malachy turns to face me.

"You have set us all free, thank you," he says, and then he looks at me and then Lucien as though he doesn't mind who does the deed.

"Now please kill me, do it now" he says firmly.

Lucien looks at the sword in my hand and then glances at Eric, "May I borrow your sword Eric?" he asks and Eric nods.

I offer the sword and Lucien takes it from me "Goodbye Malachy… Great-Grandfather," he whispers.

Malachy nods "Goodbye Lucien and thank you, now do it" he says and with that he simply closes his eyes and waits for his death.

Lucien grips the sword and with tears in his eyes he swings it and ends Malachy's life.

Ezekiel and Silas both yell out in anguish and Lucien wordlessly hands me the sword and kneels down with them and joins them in their grief.

Reluctantly I walk across to Isaiah, who is being supported by Sam who is talking to him and explaining everything. Isaiah slowly lifts his head and looks at me.

"I am told you are also my kin child," he says.

I nod, "through your daughter Isabella who married Silas."

Isaiah nods, "then I am proud to die by your hand, it is necessary, you have been very brave, now please complete this, kill me and then end that zombie."

I hear Max gargling again as he hears these words but I focus on the moment in hand, I nod at Isaiah and grip Eric's sword, I step forward, but I feel a hand on my shoulder, I turn and Ezekiel stops me.

"No child, you have done enough, let me, let me end the suffering my friend endures, you will have the honour of killing the zombie in a moment but let me take this burden from you," I take a step back as Ezekiel draws his own sword and looks at Isaiah.

"Goodbye my old friend" he whispers, and with one swift movement, it is all over.

I don't hesitate I walk over to Maximillian who is now bleeding profusely from his mouth and all the other places I had previously attacked him and a large hole has appeared in his chest which is smoking from the fireballs I had previously thrown at him, and he has slumped in Eric's arms and is probably already dead as he is very quiet and still but it's not enough, I need to finish this I need to make sure.

"Now it's your turn you crazy mother fucker" I hiss and I ram the sword straight down through the top of his head.

I am taking a leaf out of Karin's book, this bastard made people suffer and so if he is still alive I am going to make him suffer.

Eric lets him go and steps back and lets me continue. I wordlessly hack the zombie to pieces.

"I believe he is now dead lover," Eric says eventually gently placing his hand on my shoulder.

I nod and look around at everyone who is staring at me.

"We need to torch this place get rid of all the evidence," I say, and I am quite impressed with how steady and calm my voice sounds.

We clear the building and Lucien once more transforms into a dragon and hovers over the building and begins to breathe fire all over it then I see the elementals gathering and the fire elementals combine and slowly join with the Shreefs, it is an amazing sight as the columns of fire become bigger and bigger and turn into a single raging tornado of fire as the two elements combine and as Lucien deals with the roof of the warehouse the elementals deal with the walls.

There must be some magic involved as their fire cuts through the building so easily and soon there is literally nothing left. I stare at the smouldering ashes.

"It's over" I whisper and Eric wraps his arm around me.

"Yes lover it is, let's go home," he says.

Everyone is sombre as we leave the remains of the warehouse. The Weres all go their separate ways, after bidding us goodbye. The elementals all gather in front of me and the Shreef who has watched over me for years speaks.

"It is done, this night was your destiny Sookie, this was your purpose and also Lucien's, this was necessary, for all supernatural's and the human race, we all feel the balance is restoring now the spell is broken, I can feel it and so do all my brethren, Maximillian had to be stopped and fate decided it was you and Lucien who were to do it". With that, all the elementals simply vanish without another word.

I turn to everyone, "They said it was our purpose to do what we did tonight" I gesture between myself and Lucien, "it said fate had chosen Lucien and me to stop Max and it was our destiny to do what we did" everyone accepts this without a word, and Lucien stares at me.

"Kind of hard to get your head around something like that," he says.

I nod and give a weak laugh in response.

The Mori Demons all gather and although they are clearly grieving the loss of Malachy and Isaiah they are all slowly coming to terms with the fact it had to be done to free everyone from Maximillian and I think what I have just told them is helping, at least I hope it is.

"This is a new dawn, we no longer have the threat of Maximillian hanging over the supernatural world we are facing a brighter future and we will never forget the sacrifice of Malachy, Isaiah and the fairy Brayen," Ezekiel says.

"Not to mention the bravery of Sookie and Lucien" Silas adds there is a murmuring of an agreement but I shake my head.

"No, you guys did the majority of the fighting tonight you were just as brave" I protest.

Ezekiel shakes his head, "No we were weak, we didn't want to comply with the rules fate had dealt us, but you completed the required mission."

A sudden thought hits me, "who would Brayen appear to when he died, - I know that full Fae appears to their next of kin or something like that, well his sister Aine is dead as is his father Niall who else would there be?"

Ezekiel frowns, "His mother has passed into the Summerlands, there was another brother but I believe he also passed into the Summerlands, his half brother Fintan has passed so the only kin left would be... Dermot."

I look at Eric, "We need to get back, if he gets this news he will need to speak to me" I say and Eric nods in agreement.

We say our goodbyes to the Mori demons and Desmond walks up to me and hugs me tightly.

"I am very proud of you, your grandfather would be so proud of what you did tonight," he says kindly.

I smile, "Thank you" I whisper.

The Mori demons depart, leaving just the vampires and Lucien. The area five vampires depart bowing to Eric and to me, Lucien leaves with Pam and Karin, taking Eric's car.

I turn to my husband, "well it looks like it's just you and me and they just took our ride" I say.

Eric nods, "and I believe we had a deal," he says as he pulls me close and presses me against his erection.

"You'd better take me home then," I say.

I feel the need to be close to my husband, I need to feel him inside me and around me, I need to forget everything that happened tonight, and I think Eric also realises this.

"Gladly" he replies and without another word he grabs me and leaps into the air.


	25. Chapter 25

**AUTHORS NOTE: Well here we are, this is the final chapter, in a fairly short but I hope interesting story. I was surprised when this story came to me, as it happened totally out of the blue and unlike all my other stories, with seemingly no source of inspiration to trigger it. It just seemed to appear fully formed in my mind and all come together quickly and I admit I let my imagination run riot with it, and at one point I was concerned that it had become too incredulous even for a supernatural story. I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read it.**

CHAPTER 25

We reach the house and there is a stillness around it, and I realise that Pam, Karin and Lucien have gone somewhere to give us time some alone.

As we walk up to the front door and I reach to open it I hear a pop, I was fully expecting it after decapitating that fairy but at this moment I am feeling selfish, I really want to just be with my husband, and then I feel a wave of shame consume me as I remember Dermot's previous words and my vow that he was always welcome here and could always turn to me, should he need to, and if he has just received a death visitation from his kin who he thought had been lost for years, well, that is definitely something he would want to talk about.

I turn and smile at Dermot.

"Hi Dermot" I say and once again I think it is more of my crazy Sookie smile which is plastering my face rather than a genuine one.

I see the anguished look on his face as he steps closer which only serves to make me feel even guiltier about my selfishness of wanting to be alone with Eric.

"What has happened tonight?" he asks the confusion clear on his face.

"You'd better come in," I say as I open the door.

Dermot hesitates at the invitation looking warily at me and then at Eric.

Eric holds up his hands. "I can control myself" he states.

But the look on his face and his flaring nostrils belie his words and he deliberately moves away from Dermot as he says it.

I smile reassuringly at Dermot and reach out to grasp his hand, "I could never hurt you, you are my family" I say, and I am shocked at the tears which spring into Dermot's eyes.

"That's...that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me" he mutters, and I am shocked that such a simple thing could have had such a profound reaction, and it makes me angry at Niall all over again, this time for his neglect and dismissal of Dermot.

We head inside and Dermot nervously sits down on the edge of a sofa, he keeps glancing around and checking where the exit is, which is hardly surprising considering he is inside the home of two vampires and he is unable to conceal his fairy scent.

I sit in a seat opposite him and I begin to explain everything, I start right at the beginning with the imbalance and all the theories we came up with and Custis duping Ocella and Ambrogio, Max impersonating Ocella and gradually working my way right up to the events of tonight.

"Brayen was Niall's son, he was a full fairy" it hurts the way he says this, it is so matter of fact and there was no bitterness in his tone and the way he calls Niall by his name, I have rarely heard him call Niall 'father' or 'my father'.

"Niall was devastated when he vanished, but he always knew he was still alive somewhere, as he hadn't had a death visitation, he thought it had something to do with Malachy, as it was around the same time that Malachy went to the Faery to avenge Aine's death that Brayen vanished as well, but never did he believe Max was involved," he shakes his head sadly.

"Well, it's all over now," I say a little lamely and I reach across and pat his hand.

Dermot nods, "I'm glad and I am very proud of you Sookie," he says.

"Are you ok?" I ask.

Dermot nods "I am now, I understand everything now, I was told a little when I was asked to come and train you but everything makes much more sense now, also I was confused when I received the visitation, thank you for explaining everything to me," he says.

A sudden thought occurs to me, "Didn't you get a death visitation from Niall when he...?" I trail off and Dermot shakes his head sadly.

"No, Niall didn't think very much of me as you know, but no he didn't come to me, I presume he appeared before Breandan," he says.

"That makes sense because he, Breandan that is, didn't waste any time in trying to take over in the Faery," I say.

Dermot nods in agreement, "I wonder if Niall realised that by choosing him he was condemning the entire Faery to civil war?" he muses.

I see Eric who is across the other side of the room and keeping his distance from Dermot, freeze at that information.

"Perhaps it was a final act of selfishness on his part, we know he was a tyrant, perhaps deep down he knew what would happen if he appeared to Breandan, and he calculated that if the Faery couldn't have him as their ruler any longer, he would ensure that war broke out and they all perished," he says.

We both stare at Eric incredulously, but after a moment Dermot snorts and shakes his head sadly, "As outlandish as that sounds, it is entirely possible that was Niall's intention," he says.

A thought occurs to me, "Dermot, when Brayen asked me if Niall still lived and I said he was dead, he said good, and he seemed happy, why would he say that I mean...?" I trail off stopping before saying he was his father, remembering that Dermot wasn't overly bothered when we killed Niall either.

Dermot gives a sad little smile, "Brayen was very close to Aine and he hated Niall for the way he behaved when she fell in love with Malachy, he also seemed to like me, even though I was a Halfling, and he thought the way Niall favoured Fintan over all of us was wrong," he stops speaking and I have no idea what to say to him.

"Oh, I see," I say eventually, inwardly cringing at the lameness of the comment.

"Are you ok?" I ask him again, after another moment's silence and inwardly cringing as this is all I seem to be saying to him.

He nods and offers me a slightly braver smile, "I am, thank you Sookie."

My attention is taken from Dermot as Eric comes over and stands next to me and reaching for me he pulls me up to stand next to him. He is making it obvious that he wants Dermot to go and I discreetly elbow him in the side for his blatant rudeness.

Dermot looks between us, "I'll leave you alone now give you time to relax after the battle" he says, quickly taking Eric's less than subtle hint, and with that he moves towards the door.

I follow him assuring him once more that he is always welcome here and hopefully making it clear to him once more that although I am a vampire now he is still my family, he smiles at me and then steps outside, I watch him go and a moment later I hear the familiar popping sound. I feel a little bit bad about him going, but those thoughts are soon driven from my mind as Eric comes up behind me and wraps himself around me.

"You were incredibly rude," I say sharply, but Eric just grunts and starts nuzzling at my neck.

"Our deal" he whispers in my ear.

"Oh yes, our deal" I reply, turn in his arms to face him but instead of moving closer I push away from him, "but you could have been a little more tactful in your hint to send Dermot on his way, he too has lost family tonight" I scold.

Eric thinks about that for a moment, then he looks straight at me and I am shocked by what I see in his eyes, something I would never associate with Eric, I see what I believe is vulnerability.

"I need you as well Sookie, Malachy was a very good friend of mine and seeing him tonight as he was, so broken and defeated it was... unsettling, and it was a great shock to me when I saw Isaiah again after all these years and the state he was in," he stops speaking almost as if he is ashamed to admit that he has feelings about what happened tonight.

I wrap my arms around him, compassion flooding me. I go through everything that happened tonight and I can't help but voice a concern that keeps eating at me.

"I'm also in a little in shock, now looking back my reaction to the whole situation, I saw how upset Ezekiel and Silas were at the prospect of finding their friends and family only to know that they were going to lose them again shortly, but I was so...I don't know...'matter of fact', I feel bad about it now, all I could see was that they needed to die so we could break the spell kill Maximillian and restore the balance, the greater good and all that," I say.

Eric gives a little snort and pulls me even closer, "Tonight my love I couldn't have been prouder of you, tonight you were thinking like a vampire and not letting humanity and emotion cloud your judgement, you realised what had to be done and you knew that certain people had to die no matter how distasteful that prospect was, to complete the task you set out to do to save millions more, do not second guess your actions, you did what needed to be done," he stops and I feel the love and pride flow over me through the bond.

"I don't think I could have been that cold about it if I'd known them personally before," I say.

"Also, there is the fact to consider that his plan all along was capture Lucien and me to take their places" I shiver unconsciously at the thought.

Eric shakes his head, "You were not cold or unfeeling tonight, you forget I felt your sorrow and regret when you killed the fairy, I also felt your relief when the others stepped in to relieve you of the burden of killing Malachy and Isaiah, you didn't want to do it but you did what had to be done, that is why it was yours and Lucien's destiny to finish it, although Ezekiel did step up in the end and do what was right, and as for Max and his crazy plan, he would never have been able to take you or Lucien."

"He managed to take Isaiah and Malachy not to mention a full-blooded fairy" I protest.

Eric shakes his head, "Yes and consider what you just said, they were three separate beings, he wanted you and Lucien purely because you were Fae, Mori and Shifter all in one package right along with a bonus helping of Vampire, all in one, but what he failed to realise is all those bloodlines in one body makes you both incredibly powerful, too powerful for him to handle, a fact which I believe you proved most comprehensively," he stops and looks at me his eyebrows raised.

I immediately get what he is saying and realise he is probably right, so I change the subject slightly.

"It's a shame though I would have liked to get to know them."

Eric shakes his head adamantly, "No, they were not the beings they once were, they were shadows of their former selves, I cannot speak for the fairy as I did not know him well, physically he looked smaller than I remembered him to be, but I didn't really know him, but I knew Malachy and Isaiah very well, and they were nothing like they used to be, it was cruel to keep them alive as they were, especially Isaiah, he was way past his lifespan, and nothing like the man he once was, it was quite upsetting to see him like that, he was once as imposing as Ezekiel, if not more so, and he stood as tall and broad as Lucien, and you saw his white hair, that was once as red as Lucien's" he states sadly.

I am shocked at that, because when we had taken down Isaiah from the shackles he so small and slight, not even hitting the six-foot mark. "So he was literally withering away," I say quietly.

"Something like that, he had lived way beyond his time and it was only the dark magic which was essentially keeping him alive, it was a kindness what happened tonight and Ezekiel knows it that is why he stepped up, in the end, to complete the task," Eric says.

"Max was a strange one," I say, "I found it so hard to latch on to his mind I thought I had him a few times but he kept managing to evade me, the only time I really managed to get a real hold on him was when he saw Lucien in dragon form, he was so petrified, his mind and thought process kind of just shut down."

Eric smiles once more, "You did very well, we didn't say anything at the time but we really didn't expect you to do as well as you did with him, as crazy is impossible to control, remember how Alexei was, not even Ocella with his years of strength and power could control him, and crazy with an added magic ability... well! But you are so powerful you found a way even it was only for short periods, you are very powerful you do realise that don't you?"

He grips me tightly by the shoulders as he says this as if he is trying to make more of a point.

"I think I'm starting to," I say slightly nervously the idea I possess such abilities unnerves me a little.

I quickly change the subject again. "How did the battle go for you guys, it sounded pretty horrific from where I was holed up with Max?" I ask remembering the sounds I heard from inside the room.

Eric's smile gets wider at the memory of the battle, and I see the Viking warrior he once was, "It was wonderful, it was almost too easy, there were a number of good fighters amongst the zombies but they were no match for all of us, it was almost overkill on our part, but it is always better to be over prepared for battle than under," he pauses and then frowns at me. "But I do not wish to talk about the events of tonight, I want to remind you of our deal."

"Ok, remind away!" I say.

Eric needs no further encouragement and he grabs me up into his arms and takes us to our resting place and shortly afterwards we are both naked, I watch him as those gorgeous blue eyes rake over my body, I shiver as his eyes roam over me and tentatively I reach for him. I run my hands slowly down his arms, and across his chest and he closes his eyes savouring my touch and a low growl sounds in his throat.

"I love you" I whisper and I lean forward and press a kiss to his hard chest.

Eric's hands mirror my movements as he moves them slowly down my arms and over my breast, he pauses and runs his thumbs over my nipples making them harden and then he lowers his mouth to them and gently licks them, I feel his fangs have descended and as they graze my skin I moan. My own fangs descend with the arousal I am feeling and my hands move with purpose lower until I find what I am looking for, I circle my hands around his enormous aroused cock and stroke him from root to tip.

As I grasp him Eric mutters something in a foreign language and then he says something which I can understand.

"Oh gods Sookie" he moans and thrusts his hips towards me, while his hands grip me tightly.

He runs a trail of kisses all over my body and then slowly pushes me back towards the bed as the bed hits the back of my legs he eases me down on to it and climbs over me. I reach for him again and he thrusts once more into my hands.

"I need you" I whisper to him, "make me forget everything that happened tonight and remind me of our deal" I beg.

"I need you too" he growls and I part my legs so he can settle between them.

I let him go and a moment later he is pushing himself inside me, I raise my hips to meet him and he groans wrapping his hands around me and pulling me closer.

"Make me forget as well" he mutters.

I gasp as he pushes all the way in and fills me completely, I run my hands over his strong shoulders and as he starts to move I dig my nails into his back, this excites him and he picks up his pace and really starts to move, he pistons into me setting an insane pace but my need for him is such I keep up and meet him each and every time.

I dig my nails in again as I feel myself building and he growls and bending his head he bites me and drinks from me, this is enough to push me over the edge and I scream out his name, I nuzzle against his neck and sink my fangs into him and it has the effect of pushing him over the edge and he stiffens and then explodes inside me with roar.

Slowly he starts to move again and I feel him still coming inside me, I grip his ass and pull him deeper I feel him smile against me.

"You want more lover?" he asks his voice husky and low.

I nod my head, "I think I need just a little more reminding of our deal" I say.

I hear a low chuckle and Eric proceeds to remind me continuously until dawn takes us both, but in doing so he also manages to banish the memories of tonight.

**oooOOOooo**

I open my eyes to find Eric looming over me and I realise he is inside me, I raise my eyebrows at him and he grins, his fangs are down and he moves slightly sending ripples of pleasure through me.

"We went to our day deaths still joined intimately and when I awoke, well it was a nice way to awaken so I thought I would just wait here until you rose before I removed myself from you," he says.

"Or," I say thrusting my hips suggestively towards him.

He growls and pulls me closer, "Excellent idea," he says and he starts to move with me.

"We should think about getting up lover," Eric says eventually as we lie sated from our lovemaking.

"Hmm," I moan and just snuggle closer.

I can feel Eric lazily trailing his hand up and down my back and I am twirling small circles on his chest with my hand.

"Sookie can I ask you a question?" Eric says me suddenly.

I look up at him surprised by the solemnness of his tone, "what's wrong?" I ask.

"Nothing lover, I just have a question I wish you to answer," he says.

"Ok, go on," I say and I turn myself so I am looking up into his face.

"Why do you dismiss your shifter abilities? Since you shifted into that beautiful Phoenix when you were training you haven't done so again and you don't seem to want to use or even mention that you have that ability, why?"

I pause and think about my answer, "I can't say I'm that keen on it" I say eventually.

"Why?" he asks.

I remember my insecurities at feeling a freak and I shake my head, "I just don't like it, plus I can't see the appeal nor the need for it. I cannot see how it can be an advantage, I mean Lucien as a dragon I get, we all saw what he is capable of in dragon form, but what can I do as a bird?" I scoff.

Eric smiles at me, "Sookie it gives you a great strategic advantage in battle and other occasions, you can shift and get above your enemy and coupled with your telepathy you would have an enormous advantage to gain information from them," he stops and looks at me.

I consider this and nod in agreement, "Yes I guess so, I hadn't really thought of it like that," I say.

"I will not force you to use this gift, I just think you should embrace it as you have done your other abilities, and I wondered why you hadn't when you so eagerly embraced everything else so completely," Eric says carefully.

"It made me feel like a freak" I whisper, voicing my insecurity to him.

Eric stares at me, and his gaze hardens, "Sookie you need to get these notions out of your head I understand that is how you felt when you were growing up as you were different, it was how you were made to feel by the narrow-minded stupidity of humans, who knew no better, but you need to realise and understand that different is good, and different in your case is very, very powerful."

"Ok" I concede eventually, I wonder what brought on this and I voice my question.

Eric shrugs, "I was just curious, you have embraced so fully every other aspect of your bloodline and yet you so obviously rejected your shifting ability and I just wondered why," he says.

"Do...do you like to see me as a Phoenix?" I ask with genuine curiosity.

Eric smiles, "I thought you were beautiful, but you are always beautiful."

I fling myself at him and hug him tightly, "I love you so much" I say.

Eric laughs and pats my ass affectionately. "I love you too, every aspect of you, now come on my little Phoenix we need to get up and have a shower."

After two very fulfilling orgasms in bed and a further three whilst spending longer than usual in the shower, we dress and head out.

As we reach the kitchen I see Lucien, Pam and Karin are waiting, and I immediately notice a number of bags packed near the door.

"You're leaving," I say looking at Karin and she nods at me.

"I am, I need to go," she says.

I knew this day was going to come, but I have become very fond of my eldest sister, without thinking I walk up to her and hug her tightly. She freezes going ramrod stiff then slowly one arm comes around me and rests awkwardly on my shoulder.

"I'm going to miss you," I say quietly.

She doesn't say anything for a moment but when she does reply it is with almost a hint of surprise, "and I realise I am going to miss you as well sister."

I push away from her a little embarrassed, "Sorry" I say.

Karin smiles kindly at me, "Do not apologise, we have known from the moment you first arose that you are no ordinary vampire and as such, I can tolerate your affection in fact it feels... nice," she stops as though she shouldn't have admitted that.

I reach out once more and touch her arm, "It's ok to accept love Karin, love makes you stronger, not weaker, it makes you whole and there is nothing more powerful than the love of your family," I gesture to Pam, Eric and myself as I say it and then stop as she considers that.

"My family" she muses as if that thought had never occurred to her before. She turns towards Pam and then looks at Eric.

"My family," she says again with more certainty.

This time she reaches for me and gives me an awkward hug, "Goodbye Sookie, I have learnt much from you in the short time I have known you, and you have taught me well, our Sire made a good choice when he picked you."

"Goodbye Karin and don't be a stranger, come and visit when you can," I say.

She nods, "I will" and the say she says it I know she means it and is not just placating me, then she turns to Pam, I notice she doesn't even attempt to hug her though just gives her a curt nod.

"Goodbye Pam I won't leave it so long next time to come back and visit," she says.

"Goodbye sister," Pam says and she returns the nod with one of her own.

Then she turns to Eric, who immediately strides forward and after a moment's hesitation, he places his hand on her shoulder.

"Goodbye... Eric... Sire... father," she says and I see Eric's nostrils flare as he takes in a deep unnecessary breath.

"Goodbye my child and stay safe," he says as he lifts his other hand and grips her shoulders tightly.

What happens next shocks not only Eric but everyone else in the room as Karin steps forward and wraps her arms around him, he briefly closes his eyes and returns her hug.

The love and compassion flowing through our mutual bond is overwhelming and when Karin pulls away I can see she is affected by it, she turns and hesitates before taking a step towards Pam. She looks at her sister questioningly and Pam smiles. A moment later the two are hugging possibly for the first time.

"We have never done this before, Sookie has a lot to answer for" Pam muses as she returns Karin's hug.

Karin quickly pulls away and the two pull themselves together, then she turns towards Lucien, "You repeat anything of what you have just witnessed and I will cut your tongue out," she hisses at him and he grins at her.

"No way, I saw nothing," he says holding up his hands.

"Good," Karin says and a small reluctant smile plays on her lips, she walks up to Lucien and punches him on the shoulder.

"Goodbye Lucien," she says curtly to him and he nods at her, realising he isn't going to get a hug.

"Goodbye Karin, it was good to see you again," he says.

With that she turns and picks up her huge backpack and slides it over her shoulders and grabbing a duffel in each hand she walks towards the door. When she reaches it she stops and turns.

"I'll see you all again soon," she says and without another word, she is gone, disappearing into the night.

Pam stands and looks at Eric, "I'm heading off to Fangtasia now, and you should make an appearance soon, things have been somewhat neglected the past few weeks, there are a number of area 5 sheriff related issues which you need to look at and also a couple of things with the club that need your say so."

I realise Pam is using this to hide her emotion at Karin leaving so I don't say anything.

Eric nods, "We'll come by later".

"I'll be heading off tonight as well," Lucien says carefully.

I turn and look at him in surprise, "Oh ok, where are you going?" I ask.

"Home, but first I want to call on a pretty female Were I met last night," he says and I notice his mouth turns up into a grin as he says this.

I roll my eyes, but secretly I am pleased for him, "Panther or Wolf?" I ask.

"Wolf and she doesn't have a mate... yet," he says making his intentions clear of what he is planning.

Eric throws his head back and roars with laughter, "I wish you luck my friend, there is nothing better than the love of a good woman" he says.

As he does so he looks at me with such heat in his eyes and he steps closer to me and wraps his arms around me pulling me to his side and he kisses my temple.

**oooOOOooo**

A short while later and Lucien is saying his goodbyes as well, I hug him tightly "It was good meeting you, please come and visit us again soon," I say earnestly.

Lucien nods "I will" he promises.

"Just, not too soon!" Eric says with a smirk.

I shake my head at my husband, "Eric stop it!" I say although I know he is joking.

"He loves me really!" Lucien says with a cheeky grin as he elbows Eric in the ribs.

A small growl comes from Eric and the words "Don't push your luck."

We all laugh but that laughter dies as we realise Lucien really is going. I hand him my phone and tell him to put his number in it, which he does so quickly, and I thank him as he hands my phone back to me. He fishes his phone from his pocket and holds it out to me I take it and wordlessly programme my number into it before handing it back to him.

"Are you going to stop by and see Sam before you go completely?" I ask as he takes his phone from me.

Lucien nods, "yes I will, it was good seeing him again, and I think I'll drop in on your brother too, I liked Jason."

I smile at that, "He'd like that" I say.

A moment later we are watching Lucien disappear into the night, just as Karin did earlier and it is just Eric and me, I turn to my husband.

"It is almost like an anti-climax after all the activity of the past few weeks," I say after a moment of silence.

"It is" he agrees, he pulls me close and nuzzles my neck affectionately, "but now it is time to get back to normality, and spend some time enjoying our marriage without the threat of the end of days."

He steps away from me and holds out his hand, "Let's go to Fangtasia and see what these issues are that need my attention," he says.

I place my hand in his, "Lead the way, perhaps I will be able to help," I say gesturing towards the door.

Eric nods, "I'm sure you will, but I'm also sure none of it will be as interesting as the problems you have been solving recently, it will be just routine and somewhat boring issues," he says.

I laugh, "Well after the past few weeks there's a lot to be said for routine and boring, so bring it on!"

**THE END**


End file.
